Vanished
by j3nnee
Summary: Peter is still depressed 6 months after Neal vanishes over a cliff on a case. All signs point to the consultant being dead but a new case seems to indicate otherwise. Spoilers for all seasons, whump, hurt comfort, bromance, suspense, mystery, a hint of sci-fi and so much more.
1. Chapter 1

Things had finally returned to normal as much as normal could be under the circumstances. Peter pushed the case as far away from his conscious mind as he could once he realized his hopes would never come to pass. His eyes reread the same passage again, something he had been doing a lot lately as he worked on their current file load of criminal cases and mortgage fraud. A slight smirk passed his lips on the last bit knowing how much Neal always hated the latter before he frowned again.

_Neal Caffrey..._

The name had buzzed in the air for the past six months like some kind of irreverent curse word or something more. The con had been missing since their last case, Peter recalling the incident almost every night in his dreams, another reason he had to read things a few times. He wasn't getting much sleep although he had finally taken his wife's advice and gone to their doctor for something. He slept now but it was the sleep of the dead, hints of what he wished he didn't know floating in the background of his drugged thoughts until he woke up feeling physically rested but mentally exhausted from fighting back those memories.

"Boss... they're ready for you in the conference room."

Diana stood there in the doorway glancing at him curiously as he nodded back with a smile he didn't feel. There was nothing wrong with his feeling towards his co-workers, especially Diana and Jones but there was an empty desk just within range of the doors that reminded him daily of someone who was no longer with them.

"Peter..."

He gazed up from his view of the desk, Neal's desk, and gazed into the other agent's eyes. She was worrying about him, a soft look in her eyes as she closed the door, her voice only just audible.

"_I miss him too Peter._"

She knew what he was thinking, Diana always taking care of him as if they were family. He nodded back, sighing to himself as he closed up the case file before him and took a few other folders off to the side along with some notes he had written as he stood up. All he wanted to do was live that day again and change things... make what happened go away...

"Thanks, Diana. I'll be right there."

But that wasn't possible and every day he felt the loss a little bit more while trying to leave it behind him. Neal hadn't run this time, not in the typical sense. Neal had saved his life but he had died doing it in the line of duty. So many unanswered questions when a body was missing, the marshals and rangers finding only hints of clothing and his consultant's badge washed upon the shore from the river below.

He had to forget for the moment, live his life and do his job. Life had to go on even if Neal Caffrey was gone. Peter sighed, leaving the office and walking next door to the conference room, his manner changing from tired to his usual self as he did as his partner often did and conned people into thinking he was feeling something he wasn't. If he had learned anything from Neal, it was how to fool the audience into seeing something that wasn't there and in the last 6 months, Peter had started getting better at pretending he didn't miss his partner.

**()()()**

5 o'clock finally came around, Peter staying at his desk despite everyone else packing up. Jones and Diana stopped by, offering to take him out for drinks after work but he refused feigning interest in the case before him and a late dinner with his wife who had an event. They nodded, a knowing look between the two agents as they acted normal and let him be with their usual good night as they left him alone. Slowly the floor cleared out until it was after 6:30 PM and only himself and Hughes remained, the senior agent exiting his office surprised to see him there as he knocked on the door.

"Burke... what are you still doing here?"

He gazed up from the case files he was looking over, only partially attentive to the information within as he blinked at his superior and friend.

"Work... trying to catch up on a few of these cases trying to figure out which will be our next big break. How about you?"

He was acting normal, Peter trying his best to hide why he was at work so late, Reese walking inside and standing over him as he lay a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Go home, Peter. These can wait until tomorrow. I'm sure Elizabeth is worried about you."

His friend was obviously worrying about his overdoing it as he reluctantly nodded at his boss, Reese remaining close by with a thoughtful look on his face.

"I always thought... it doesn't matter what I thought. Caffrey was more than what everyone thought. Hopefully he's run to a better place."

Peter blinked up at his boss, grabbing up his jacket and the files. Hughes had said more than he ever had about liking Neal in those words.

"I knew he had my back sir... I should have had..."

He choked on the words, unable to say them even after 6 months. Guilt still ate at him and he wasn't going to get over it any time soon. Reese patted him on the shoulder, a small comfort as they walked out of the office and building with no words until the elevator doors closed.

"Partnerships are hard to give up, Peter. I've had my fair share of losses over the years. It never gets easier but all you can do it go on for both of your sakes."

The doors finally opened up on the lobby floor, Reese squeezing his arm in a comforting manner.

"Save those files for tomorrow. Spend a quiet evening with Elizabeth. G'night."

They split up outside the building, Peter walking to his car while Hughes took a taxi. He thought about his friend's words but it only helped a tiny bit against the emptiness still threatening to break Peter in half. He had Elizabeth, Diana, Jones... June. Mozzie hadn't been around lately so he had an idea the little guy was mourning in his own way or searching for their friend. The fall to the river below would have killed anyone so with all the evidence it was impossible Neal had lived. Body or no body, Neal Caffrey was gone. Only traces of blood, hair and some skin had been found but nothing else and no hint he had walked away. This was not a faked death or case of someone wandering off in a daze. The rangers thought a bear or such might have taken...

His attention came back to the road, his house coming up. Peter stopped thinking about what could have happened. Neal was gone. The con had run in the worse way possible or maybe the only way he could and get away with it. The tracker had not been found so they thought maybe... No, he was going to push this all aside tonight. El would be home soon and he could have dinner ready for her before she showed up. He was good at pot roast so that would be tonight's meal. He just needed to walk to the market around the corner for a few other items like veggies before the roast was done. Peter settled on snow peas and mash potatoes, exiting the vehicle with his files and entering their home. Satchmo greeted him sniffing at his hand before licking it. Even the dog seemed to sense his sadness as he closed the door, petting the lab and sitting down, Satchmo pushing his chin onto the agent's knee and pressing down.

"I miss him Satch... every day. That annoying smile... those little hats... he's not coming back."

The dog whined back and he petted him a bit more before getting up to head upstairs and change. Satch needed a walk and Peter needed to get dinner ready. He changed into some jeans and a black tee, grabbing his wallet and phone as he headed back down. The roast was already in the freezer so he prepared it, pushed it into the oven and headed out with Satch to the market. For a moment he was just another guy fixing dinner for his wife and walking his dog. Everything else was pushed aside.

**()()()**

The pot roast was nearly done, veggies simmering on the stovetop when Peter felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Elizabeth had not come home yet but had called to say her event was nearly over about an hour after he had come home. He figured it must be his wife calling again when a not so unfamiliar voice spoke.

"_Suit... we need to talk._"

Peter froze, surprised by the out of the blue call of the con that had called Neal friend and family in some cases. They had heard nothing from Mozzie since the week of Neal's disappearance, thinking he had gone into hiding to do his own mourning and searching for the missing consultant and former con man. The fact he was calling now seemed surprising as he stirred the pan with snow peas, onions and carrots.

"Mozzie? I'm in the middle of making dinner for my wife. How... how are you?"

He wasn't sure why he was uncertain what to say but it could be the guilt he still felt at losing the con's best friend and the idea the man had stayed away because he blamed him for it. There was a moment of silence then a cough before he heard a knock at his door echoed through the phone.

"_I noticed... I'll be better if you let me in._"

Peter put the spatula down, covering the veggies as he put them on a lower setting and walked over to the back door where Mozzie stood, a large folder under his arm. It looked familiar to him in some way he couldn't quite recall as he moved aside to let the con inside.

"I won't take too much of your time, Peter. I'm just... doing what Neal told me to do."

Mozzie carried the large portfolio sized folder over to the coffee table and laid it down after he removed some of the decorations on top. Peter gave a quick look at the kitchen hoping to keep an eye on the food so it wouldn't burn. Mozzie seemed to notice, untying the ribbon holding the huge folder closed and opening it up, several drawings inside on paper he knew all too well. This was Neal's artwork. His sketches but these looked far more original than he had ever seen. The agent gave the first one a glance as he realized what the sketch was of.

"How... where did you get these, Mozz? This is... I don't understand..."

It was the cliffside where Neal had fallen from. Where he had shot the man who killed his friend and...

Peter stood, walking back over to the kitchen but then pausing as he gazed at the back door a moment then turned back to the con who was still at the sofa with the large book of sketches. Neal's art... He walked back after a moment with uncertainty. Mozzie wouldn't play games about Neal's death to hurt him. Much as it was apparent he was still upset with him he had come because of something their mutual friend had asked him to do but what and why were the question as he looked at the sketch again. Mozzie was quiet, nothing like his usual self and no obvious anger or malice beyond a certain standoffishness that had to be because of what had happened.

"Neal... he told me... he said that I would know what to do with them when the time was right and when I did, I was to come visit with you."

The last part sounded forced but he was doing this because Neal had asked so that was something. Peter noted that the image was of the scene where his friend and partner had died but there were differences he wasn't quite certain what they meant.

"This is wrong... he changed something here but I..."

Peter excused himself, running upstairs to his bedroom and opened up the safe behind the large picture on their shelf. He pulled out a file marked "Neal Caffrey" and took it downstairs, pulling out a large glossy photo and holding it up to the sketch.

"This is the cri... photo they took that day. Do you see the differences?"

He held it out for Mozzie to see, the little guy glancing between the two as he took the photo and finally nodded with an almost excited look.

"You're right! It's almost like a before and after picture, the sketch coming before the day in question but why would he have been there before everything happened? It doesn't make any sense!"

Mozzie had taken to analyzing the photo and sketch while Peter started to look through the rest of the drawings. Suddenly he felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Suit... something smells like it's burning."

The con was pointing behind him, a bit of smoke starting to waft towards them as Peter cursed softly, dropping the sketches and running for the kitchen. Satchmo was in the corner watching them quietly as the con followed, his eyes looking around the house as if he'd missed the place.

"It's not burned but it is a bit more crispy than I wanted. Veggies are good... Thank you for that Mozz."

Peter was trying to get everything together, Mozzie helping him as they set the table and placed the food out, a sound of a key in the door telling them El had finally come home.

"Hun, I'm home."

He heard her voice call out, quickly moving over to hug her as she glanced around at the large sketches on the coffee table and then Mozzie finishing up with her blue flowered apron as he placed some bread on the table with a flourish, towel over his arm as he bowed.

"Dinner is served, madam... monsieur..."

Peter rolled his eyes but El looked happily at them both, kissing him again and wrapping her arm around his waist as he did the same to her and they walked over to the dining table.

"Honey... you did all this? Pot roast... You know I love your pot roast."

She kissed him again and Mozzie seemed to be trying not to be there as they drew closer and Peter sat her down, taking her purse and jacket and putting them back by the door.

"Yes, and Mozzie helped. You're welcomed to join us Mozz."

The little guy looked shocked a moment but nodded, smiling at them both uncertainly as he took a seat and Peter sat near El.

**()()()**

Dinner was quiet at first, uncertainty and hurt feelings leading the way although more between the lines than in actual conversation. Finally everyone started to chit chat with Mozzie asking El about her event and Peter not inquiring into what the con had found on their friend. The last thing he wanted to do was bring that up around his wife who was still upset by their friend's loss. They still had a funeral to plan if not a memorial but everyone wanted to be certain of their friend's death before going through with anything. 6 months seemed nearly long enough to mourn a missing person.

When they had finally sat down for coffee, Elizabeth noticing the sketches and remarking on their beauty, Mozzie spoke up.

"He said... Neal uhm said that he wanted you to see these. Said it was a clue and only you would be able to figure it out."

Peter was surprised by the revelation, uncertain why it sounded as if Neal had known about what was going to happen. Was this just one long con then? Had the con actually run away? Mozzie seemed to sense his trepidation at the news, shaking his head.

"Neal didn't run, Suit. He was sad when he told me about these sketches. There was no reason why only that I had to wait 6 months and you would be able to figure out what he meant. That's all he told me."

The last word spoke volumes, an emphasis indicating some unresolved jealousy that Mozzie had that this was a puzzle for Peter and not him to solve. He knew that feeling when Neal had left clues for Mozzie and not him and this was the reverse for once but what it was he was supposed to guess at. He gazed at the other sketches, one of Elizabeth standing with a sign that he had taken of her on a surveillance of the gallery he'd met her at. It said "_I like Italian_." He gave a soft laugh at the picture remembering taking the picture when he wasn't sure what it was she was doing. They had ended up getting a reservation despite the lateness of the call to her favorite place by chance, someone else having dropped theirs at the last minute. It had been a wonderful evening with a free bottle of some nice wine being offered since another customer had been kind to get it for them as a gift. Peter had never found out who that mystery person was but it had been one of the best evenings leading to him marrying a truly remarkable woman. El hugged him, bringing him back to the present as he smiled at her softly.

"I wonder why he was sketching this. There's a picture... Let me get it."

El left a moment and the two men looked at one another and the oddness of the sketch. It was a strange thing for Neal to draw unless he had snuck upstairs and gotten into their things. This was making Peter more curious as to what Neal had meant by these drawings as El returned with a box of photos.

"Here we are. I showed Mozzie this a while ago, remember?"

The little guy nodded at her words, Peter looking at the picture and smiling wistfully. He was holding the picture up as his eyes fell on the sketch and that's when he saw the difference. It was only a slight thing but there was someone reflected in the glass behind El. Someone looking out the window behind his then future wife, a face that shouldn't be there in the sketch. It was Neal Caffrey.

**()()()**

They spent the rest of the night going through the sketches after that, looking for the differences until it was very late and Mozzie declined a stay on their sofa or in their guest room.

"I have my own investigating to continue. Thank you for the good food, Peter... Elizabeth."

The little guy was being formal and using both of their names as they said their own goodnights to him and he left through the front door this time sans the sketches. He said since Neal wanted Peter to have them, they were his. Peter felt guilty again, knowing Mozzie felt left out with not knowing what kind of puzzle Neal had left for him. For whatever reason the con had left these sketches, they had definitely been meant for Peter. He saw it in the way he'd drawn that image of Elizabeth with the sign from his former stakeout. That would have been 2 years before Neal was on his radar when he thought about it. Neal would have just run away from home according to what he'd been told and barely started what crimes he was known for if anything. What had his friend been trying to tell him with these pics?

"Peter?"

El was looking at a sketch, her face wanting to smile but something else seeming to bother her as he moved to sit beside her and look at whatever had drawn her attention.

"The green lollipop... but the angle is off here. He wouldn't have known I had it. There's no picture of me with this item or record of me eating it. There's Kate in the background but how... This is the suit I was wearing and everything. The details are perfect like a picture but I don't understand... how?"

**oOoOoOo**

**Author's Notes****:** _Neal is gone but he sent messages as if from beyond the grave. Something's up and he wants Peter to figure it out but what is the mystery? More in the next chapter._


	2. Chapter 2

**(Chapter 2)**

It had been sudden, Neal disappearing in a the blink of an eye as Peter yelled, the gunman shooting first before the agent could even register what was about to happen. Something had felt off when he went back to see why Neal hadn't met him at the spot they had picked. It had been a simple assignment and now... Neal Caffrey was gone.

_Hours..._

_Days..._

_Weeks..._

_Months..._

They passed by in a blur and every day he tried to go looking for his friend until Reese and everyone else banned him from the site and still he went back against their wishes until he was hospitalized for exhaustion and stress. Neal was gone. He wasn't coming back. The con hadn't escaped. He was just... gone. No body, no signs other than a torn up shoe and part of a cufflink in the water below. Only the smallest of forensic evidence where he had fallen when the cliff crumbled and his body had collapsed back from being hit by the gunman's bullet to the swiftly moving river below. It was a miracle Peter hadn't killed the man, only disarming him with one shot but Diana had been there and that had been the only force keeping him from physically harming the murderer of his friend and partner as he moved to gazed over the cliff side. Rain fell on them but he didn't care, drops trickling down his face and eyelashes in a cold spray.

_Neal._

His mind was only thinking of his friend.

"Boss..."

He turned at the sound of a familiar voice, eyes searching hers for some solace.

"Neal... we have to find him."

Diana looked as lost as he did, her eyes turning to glance at Jones and the other agents who were there now booking the man who had caused all of this. There were no words to be said, her hands holding him securely, wrapping around him with a blanket as he shivered and felt like crying but no tears would come. Neal was gone.

He woke up from the memory, pulse racing, breath hitching some as he glanced over at the clock and saw it was only 2 AM. He gazed beside him and saw an empty space, the blanket pushed aside where his wife had been. A sudden panic rose in him and he left the bed without a moment's thought, moving out into the hallway and seeing El coming out the bathroom, a surprised look on her face when he hugged her tightly.

"Hun... Peter, what's the matter?"

He continued to hold her, thinking if he had lost her too but he hadn't. Neal had kept her with him, giving up the treasure. Neal had always been there to help when he needed it and suddenly he felt like there was a gaping hole waiting to swallow him up.

"Nothing... I just missed you."

Peter knew she didn't believe him but he didn't care, holding on to her as they walked back to the bedroom and she curled up beside him.

"It's ok, hun. We'll get through this."

The first month had been like that. The second month a little better and now in the sixth month he was sleeping, taking the pill his wife offered him before they went to sleep.

"What do you think those sketches mean, Peter? What did Neal want you to see?"

He had no answers for her questions, shrugging silently as he gazed at the pill in his hand and finally took it with a gulp of water before he lay down on their bed, her arms around him.

"Hun... I'm sure you'll figure this out. Good night..."

El kissed him as he turned to reciprocate, their arms around the other as they turned out the lights and he felt the pill start to work. He was sleepy, tired but not because he wanted to sleep. His mind was active, working on the meaning behind the pictures as sleep wash over him and finally he was in that warm cocoon that had protected him the last three months from the hurt of losing his friend and partner.

_I'll meet you at the car. I promise. Just go Peter... I have a plan._

Peter nodded back with uncertainty, his ankle hurting him because they had run away from their quarry when gunshots missed them. The agent had run into some thick brush but there was a drop and he'd rolled down the incline, his ankle twisting when he'd tried to catch himself on the slippery rain slicked surface. Neal had slid down after him a bit more agilely, wrapping the ankle up with his fancy skinny tie and part of his shirt. He felt guilty for ruining his friend's clothes but Neal had done it without even thinking, sacrificing what he found worthwhile for something he truly loved: _Peter_. They were like brothers if not family. Now that he could walk, Peter could tell that Neal was obviously thinking up a plan, a glint in his blue eyes only there when he was planning something impulsive.

_I'm coming back if you aren't there in 30 minutes, Neal!_

The con had smiled back at him with a sad almost wistful expression.

_I'll be back..._

His voice had trailed off confusing him at first as did the sadness in his friend's eyes. There was a finality there but maybe he was just still shaken up by his fall, a slight gash on his temple and bump making him dizzy.

_Everything will be ok, Peter. I promise. I'll see you... soon._

Peter had hobbled back towards the car in the wet drizzle, his phone useless as they had tried to call for help but continued to get no signal. He pushed it back into his pocket, thinking of his friend's final words to him: _Just go to the car, Peter._

Those words hung in the air as if Neal had known this would happen. The con looked calm as if he had already been prepared but how could he have been? It didn't make sense but in his current state he was willing to trust his partner to do the right thing and be safe. Neal didn't do things _willy nilly_ when it came to people with guns. Peter paused briefly as he heard another shot some ways off echoing off the canyon walls, a chill unassociated with the rain dampening his clothes making him shiver.

_Be safe Neal... Please._

Peter made it to the car to find another one parked nearby. It was another FBI cruiser which made him more confused. They had come out here on their own, no back up at the time to find a witness to a recent rash of robberies. They had discovered the man was hiding out in a cabin in the woods following the trail to here. Unfortunately for their case, the witness had been murdered, the man responsible shooting at them and chasing the agent and consultant once they had left the shelter of the cabin to get a better signal on the cell to call for backup. Neal had tried to convince him NOT to go outside but Peter had gone out hoping for a chance his phone might work but they'd been ambushed, running through the woods for their lives when he'd fallen down the incline and hurt his ankle. The fact another car was here and it was FBI made him curiouser.

_Boss?_

Peter turned, gun in hand at the ready but lowering the weapon once he realized who it was.

_Diana... what are you doing here? Jones?_

She was coming up to meet him, Jones coming out of the brush looking relieved as did she. Her eyes took in his suit torn, damp and dirty, the dried blood on his temple and his generally dishevelled look with obvious concern. She made him sit on the hood, looking at his now swelling ankle as Jones grabbed their medkit from the trunk and they worked on his injuries, minor as they were. They gave him an FBI windbreaker to combat the chill, Peter anxious for his partner.

_Neal's still out there drawing the fire away from us. He said he'd be back soon. We need backup._

He was restless, Diana clucking her tongue at him when he wouldn't sit still for her to wrap up his ankle properly. He was dizzy still from the fall and pains he had from his injuries but those were minor to his worry for Neal.

_Already called for backup. You sent us a text..._

He stopped her there, a confused look on his face. He had no signal out here. Peter couldn't have sent a text.

_I didn't send a text, Diana... I don't have a signal._

Peter showed her his phone, the cell at zero bars with a big red x in the upper left hand corner. She glanced at him confused, looking at her own phone and seeing there were no bars either. Jones finally did the same and they realized something was wrong here.

I_t doesn't add up... someone sent that text as a precaution obviously but it wasn't me._

There was a loud gunshot nearby, the sound echoing off the trees and walls of the nearby hills. Peter stood, wincing as his ankle smarted but he had to find Neal. It had been long enough for the young man to be MIA as he hobbled towards the forest, Diana stopping him.

_You're in no condition to go out there Peter. Let me and Jones go._

He shook his head, pushing past the agent stubbornly.

_No. I have to know he's alright..._

He had a second wind, going into the woods as he heard Diana tell Jones to wait for backup then follow. She walked behind him after a moment, the sound of gunshots growing louder. Peter was nervous as he started to run some despite his ankle. Neal needed help and something told him he had little time to get to his partner. He heard Diana asking him to wait up as he flew through the brush, making his way to the clearing he'd left earlier. There had been an open cliff there, the view magnificent had they not been running from a homicidal gun toting lunatic. The imagery stuck in his mind even now as he remembered coming out and seeing Neal on the very edge of the cliff, a figure in a dark hunter's camo jacket with a shotgun pointed at his partner. Their eyes met for a moment, blue and brown before he twitched at the loudness of the weapon, shocked into stillness before he lunged forward, seeing Neal falling and then vanishing like a ghost over the edge to the river below. Part of the cliffside crumbled down after his friend as he cried out.

_NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEA AAAALLL!_

Peter felt those long artistic fingers touch his for just an instant and then they were gone, disappearing into the steam of the rapids below. There was another weapon cock dangerously near him but then familiar words made him breath in relief.

_**FBI! PUT YOUR WEAPON DOWN!**_

Diana was pointing her service weapon at the man who had killed his partner but the man didn't respond, cocking the gun again as he pointed it at her about to shoot. Peter did the only thing he could do, maybe he was in shock but he heard the report before he realized he had even taken his gun out of his holster. The man cried out, dropping the shotgun as Diana ran forward and took control, booted foot on the man's hurt shoulder where Peter had hit him. He had wanted to aim for the head but common sense had held out despite feeling vengeful. Diana looked back at him after she had cuffed the man, Darren Erics, the mystery robber in one of their current cases. Jones showed up with more agents a few minutes later, processing the gunman as Diana moved closer to help Peter up. He limped to the ledge and looked down, the white water below churning like some giant angry creature. Neal was down there. He knew it, his head craning a bit more when someone held onto his arm tightly, pulling him back enough he turned to see Diana there. The ledge was still crumbling away in the rain that ate at the soil and washed it away like it did any traces of Neal Caffrey.

_Boss?_

She was worried about him, her eyes looking into his and then downward with a sadness he understood. He wasn't the only one who saw what happened, Jones coming over as they moved from the edge and the agents took Erics away.

_Peter... Diana... where's Caffrey?_

Jones didn't know, both agents looking at the other as he glanced to the ledge where they had been. Diana squeezed his shoulder gently as she took over the conversation.

_Caffrey's... he went over the side, Jones. Erics shot him._

He watched her words hit the other agent like a sledgehammer, Jones' face paling.

_No... Caffrey... Neal?_

Jones was dumbfounded, Peter unable to say anything as he felt the shock overcome him. He wanted to wake up from the nightmare, go to June's and see that Neal was safe and sound in his penthouse room, the scent of cappuccino in the clouds...

_Hon... Peter... wake up... honey..._

The images started to fade, his mind slowly but surely clawing itself up to the surface of a dark and murky depth until he was finally awake, the sound of an alarm buzzing in the background. The room was dimly lit by the sun outside their window, someone hovering over him as he squinted up to see who, a face focusing finally into his wife's.

"Peter... it's time to wake up."

He was confused a moment, the dream memory still very real as he tried to recall all the details of that day but it faded as it was beginning to as time passed and he tried to forget more of what had happened. The pain remained but the details were becoming sketchy or maybe it was the sleeping pills making him groggy.

"Already 5 AM?"

El nodded at him as he sat up, giving a tired groan, her lips brushing his cheek as she smiled and kissed him gently on the forehead.

"Yes, sleepyhead. I'll go start the coffee. Get in the shower..."

She was kissing him again, her presence all that made him forget the horrible memories the dream tried to dredge up until he was just thinking about work and had even forgotten the sketches downstairs. He had case files to work on, criminals to pursue and arrest... a life to lead. This is what got him out of bed a bit grudgingly as he fought off the last bits of sleeping pill residue and padded out of the room to the bathroom. The water was hot and it woke him up, relaxing him as he saw flashes of the dream he'd had pass by his closed eyes he had to open them for fear the memories would hit him hard again.

_He's gone... I have to let go._

Peter turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping himself in a towel until he was dry and finally in his robe and slippers he went back to their bedroom and got dressed. _Normalcy_. That's what he needed right now. He was thinking about that when his eyes caught the sketch of his wife with the sign again on the coffee table, his feet dropping heavily off the last step as everything rushed back to him and he moved to the portfolio to look at the pictures again. Neal had left these for him as a puzzle. What did it all mean? He had tried to forget but now he had a reason to search again. Hughes would not be happy with him reopening this case.

**()()()**

He took an extra thermos of coffee to work with him, a tiredness over him from having reopened the case of Neal's death again. It wasn't official but in his mind he was in the files again, the few he had on the seat beside him. Hughes knew he had a copy but didn't say anything. He also had copies of the portfolio he took before he left, hoping to analyze them further when he had time.

"Burke!"

Peter heard Hughes' bark across the bullpen as he walked in, two fingers telling him to come forward but there was no malice there. The man was watching him though, something in the senior agent's manner that suggested this was an urgent matter. Peter nodded, Diana and Jones not yet at their posts for him to ask what was up. It was early yet, only a few rookies in the bullpen as he moved up to his office and put his stuff away before entering Reese Hughes' office.

"Yes sir?"

Reese motioned for him to close the door before pointing at a chair.

"I wanted to see how you were doing, Peter. You've been working hard and I'm taking that as a positive towards letting go of certain things hard as it must be..."

He was talking about Neal's death, Peter wanting to say something but nodding instead to hide the fact he might start working on it again. The sketches had reminded him of the loss and need to dig and find his partner to end his own if not everyone's suffering who cared for the ex-con.

"I'm doing better, Reese. Thank you for asking."

The agent was looking at him, Peter noting the look like a father determining if their teen was lying to them or not but finally he nodded and stood, Peter following suit as they moved to exit the office.

"You know you can always talk to me. My door is always open, Peter."

Reese put a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently as Peter nodded back uncertain what he could say. The man meant well much as he wanted to tell him about the new revelation whatever it might mean.

"Thank you Reese."

The phone rang about that time, the older agent moving to answer it as Peter left to his own office next door. He closed the door, hanging up his jacket on his chair before sitting heavily in it as he sighed and tried not to think about the past.

"Boss?"

Diana peeked inside, his mind lost in his own thoughts he hadn't heard her knock. He waved her inside as she moved to grab up his mug. There was a large folder in under her arm.

"I have those reports for you if you're ready for them."

She kept her voice soft, something about her knowing he was still hurting after all this time as Peter smiled and nodded back. He stood, reaching out for the folder as she handed it over and he glanced at his mug in her other hand.

"Thanks, Diana. Tell Jones we'll have that meeting in the conference room around 11. I have a few things to wrap up first."

She nodded back, leaving to get him coffee and returning a few minutes later before leaving him alone. He thought back to that day again, pulling out a small thumb drive that held the pictures of the sketches he had taken. Peter plugged it into his PC and started to scan through the images analyzing each one he hadn't yet had a chance to figure out the meaning of. None of this made any sense but Mozzie had seemed to think it did. Another conspiracy theory? Neal wasn't dead? He'd been there as had Diana. Nobody could have survived that fall muchless the shot to the chest. Neal was gone. It was the only sane theory.

One of the sketches he hadn't had time to look at yet, the last of the bunch was of an unusual scene. Someone was looking outside of what appeared to be a waterfall to the steamy spray beyond. Trees and rocks were obvious and something else that looked like a figure laying prone within the cavern beneath the falls. They looked familiar to him only the hair was longer, more wavy with a bit of growth on their face that wasn't common. Outside was another figure walking towards them, blurry from the spray but they also looked like someone he knew. Peter started to make the scene larger to be certain when he heard a knock on his door and stopped, dimming the screen.

"Come in."

It was Jones, giving him the lowdown on their current case as Diana popped back inside and joined them a moment before both left him alone again. Peter looked at the dimmed image on his screen but closed the file, knowing his mind needed to be on the now as he sifted through the reports for the day and notes on files they had in their case load. There were a lot of mortgage fraud but one case stuck out as a possibility. He looked at the file name and almost smiled like he used to.

"You look happier... find our case of the day?"

Diana had returned, a box in her hands as she lay it on his desk. There was a sweet aroma with it as his eyes glanced inside the open container and smiled.

"Cream cheese croissants? What's the occasion?"

Peter pulled one out of the box, taking a napkin from Diana to place it on as he thought about how much he'd missed having these. Neal would bring them some when a new case would break that he liked. He watched her shrug.

"Mystery sender. I suspect someone remembered Caffrey used to buy these for our big cases."

She smiled then a slight frown hit her lips but he held up a hand and shook his head at her.

"My same thought and yes, I found our new case. _Alden Hinckle_. Looks like he's wanted for forging stocks and a few art pieces. Remind you of anyone?"

He was feeling wistful, seeing Neal Caffrey in everything suddenly. Diana gave a soft chuckle as she took the file he handed her and read it.

"Wow... he really does sound like Caffrey but some of the details, these aren't anything like him. Grew up in the lap of luxury, prep school brat... no this isn't Neal, well it could have been..."

She paused, a thoughtful expression on her face but Peter shrugged, taking a bit out of one of the croissants before she took the box back.

"Neal wouldn't have been a criminal if his life had been more than what it was. So, get everyone in the conference room. I'll be there soon."

She nodded, a knowing look on her face before she left, sounds of others happy at the sight of those familiar croissants. He sighed, taking in another tasty bite before looking at the pics again on his screen. He would have to study them after this case. Life had to go on despite whatever puzzle Neal had tossed his way. Even in death the young man seemed to pervade his everyday life as he had before...

**()()()**

Alden Hinckle was anything but what they expected when they found out his current location and saw it was a rental. Peter had taken Diana and Jones with him to check out the apartment associated with the name the very next day. They were surprised to find a college aged man, early 20s looking a bit surprised in red sweat pants and a Yankees tee, an iPod hanging from his sleeve.

"I was told to rent this place a month ago. Someone sent me an email through an ad I had on Craig's List, cash included and said to take up residence as _THIS_ name. I didn't know it was something illegal... I SWEAR!"

The young man told them his real name, Brad Allen, and how he'd been given this opportunity when he was looking for a cheap apt to rent. He was new to the area and had no idea what was up beyond the free rent for two months and thinking it was some kind of TV show gimmick or such. They all listened to his story and it seemed to click, even the email they were showed on the young man's laptop from 6 weeks ago. He still had the cleared cashiers check, info on his account where someone had answered anonymously. He was telling the truth, Peter felt it in his gut but why they had been given this run around made him wonder about the person behind the file. Alden Hinckle... Something about the name sounded anything but real but the style of this diversion was undeniable. Diana and Jones were casing the place with the young man's permission, only the minimal of furnishings indicating the short time he had been living there was truth.

"They said it would only be for a month or two before... before I'd have to leave. I already have another place up for the next 6 months once this lease is up. Wait... did you say your name was _Peter_?"

The agent looked at the younger man, hazel eyes still wide with worry about being in trouble for something as he nodded curiously at him. Suddenly those eyes lit up, some excitement there he didn't understand.

"Just a moment... this is going to seem weird but... I know I have it here. Hold on, please, I know it's just... here it is!"

He pulled out a large package from under the bed, slightly dusty and worn but not from having been there for a month but seemingly sent from somewhere it had been sitting awhile, the postmark only from the past month or so.

"They sent this just two weeks ago. I guess _they_ knew something I didn't but it was in a larger package with a note to give to _Peter Burke_. It's not ticking so I think it's safe."

The kid had been trying to make a half-hearted joke to ease the tension but at the words "_ticking_" Diana and Jones turned to look at the slightly bulky package curious if not worried about what might be in it. Peter took it into evidence, handing it to Jones as they finished their interrogation and he handed a card to the young man.

"Mr. Allen, don't leave the city or state. If you hear from your mystery benefactor again, please contact me. We'll be in touch."

They put the package in the car with them, worried about what could be in it but driving carefully yet quickly to the Bureau hoping for answers on why and what as Peter tried to piece the puzzle together. What did this all have to do with Alden Hinckle and why did this stink of Neal Caffrey when the con had been dead 6 months. Peter thought he must be going crazy but everything about this case, the redirect to the college kid and everything else made him think of what Caffrey had done back in the days he chased him.

"Boss? I'll take this to forensics to get scanned."

Peter nodded, following her to the elevator as Diana headed for the basement level and he and Jones headed up to the 21st floor. Someone had set them up to find the young man and get that package but for what purpose? What was it in and why was it sent to him? Alden Hinckle... the name was going to drive him nuts but something about it...

"Peter..."

The doors were open and he was still staring into space, Jones holding it open for him as he nodded and walked out into the lobby. He needed some space excusing himself as Jones went back through the glass doors to the bullpen and Peter headed towards the bathrooms in the back. He threw water on his face, taking in several deep breaths as he dried his face and hands, straightened his tie and sighed.

_Someone's trying to tell me something... _

Another agent walked in and he nodded to them with a smile he didn't feel as Peter left and headed back towards his office. Diana was getting off the elevator as he passed, an odd look on her face.

"Peter... you won't believe what they found in that box."

She had the box, a plain brown paper box sans the large yellow postal envelope. He saw a hint of packing peanuts but something else caught his eye.

"Is that..."

They had closed the door to his office to open it up in privacy, something he never thought he'd see again on the desk.

"It's his anklet but Jake was confused by something. This one seems far older than the anklet Caffrey wore. Same one but it's 8 years older than it should be. Anachronistic is the word he used. These weren't out until 2009 but he dated it around 2004 age wise."

Peter gawked, nodding back and knowing that's when he first caught wind of Caffrey. The con wouldn't have had an anklet then but this one looked old and worn and even more interesting, blood was on the cuff.

"They already took a sample of that. It looked like blood to me too but it's aged where the cuff was cut. Looks like a blunt knife or other instrument removed it."

She was standing aside waiting for him to sort through the various items in the box including one of Neal's favorite tie pins and a set of cuffs. Everything looked aged, tarnished slightly. He couldn't quite understand what this meant or who had sent it, that name echoing in the back of his head: Alden Hinckle.

"So we find this Hinckle person and maybe we find out why they sent these things. He was... Neal was wearing these that day. Even the tie."

He sighed, pushing the box aside when something slipped into view under the packing peanuts which had blended in with the brown of the box until now. Peter reached inside and pulled the small innocuous note out, reading the words in his head.

_**Alden Hinckle has no sense**_

_**You should surely know this;**_

_**Anna's Gram won't ever shirk**_

_**in the presence of Peter Burke...**_

Peter blinked, reading the poem again as Diana looked at him and he suddenly realized what it meant. He grabbed up a pen and paper, writing down _ALDEN HINCKLE_ plainly as she watched.

"It's an _anagram_, Diana..."

It took a few tries before he found the right combination.

_**ALDEN HINCKLE**_

_**LADEN NICKLE H**_

_**HALDEN NICK LE**_

_**NICK HALDEN**_

It was Neal... or something Neal had sent a while ago but why it was showing up now and in a current case. What did it mean. Diana noticed too, a gasp escaping her lips.

"Nick Halden? Neal's alias... why is it in our current case? A copycat?"

Peter shook his head knowing one person who might be able to answer his questions if they were still available.

"I don't think so but let me check something out. Keep on the case, I'll let you know what I find."

**()()()**

Mozzie was sitting on his stoop as Peter pulled up along the curve and parked in front of his home. The oddity of seeing the man he knew he wouldn't have found otherwise sitting on his doorstep made him wonder what else the little guy had to tell him about those sketches and the puzzle Neal had left for him. He walked around the vehicle to his home and looked at the con from the bottom step.

"About time you came home. I was hoping we could have this talk before your wife came. Neal didn't want her to worry any more than necessary."

The little guy spoke as if their friend were still there but sometimes he wasn't sure how to read Mozzie. The man was an enigma of sorts. The con stood, brushing off his brown corduroy pants fastidiously before standing aside for Peter who walked up with his key to open the door. They both stepped inside, Mozzie moving to the sofa with his usual khaki colored messenger bag across his chest, dropping it beside him as he dug around for something inside.

"I'm guessing you met Mr. Hinckle?"

Peter had barely closed the door and taken off his jacket when he paused at the name and felt himself gawking. His jaw shouldn't be dropping at the man's knowledge but then he always seemed far more ahead of everyone than he should even if he didn't seem like he could.

"I'm not going to ask how you knew but yes... And I received a package from his emissary. Do you know about that as well?"

Mozzie looked up and nodded before digging into his bag again and finally pulling out a small flash drive and holding it up. Peter was curious despite the annoyance of all these games. He liked the hunt but this was more a bother, dredging up old memories he wanted to forget and push aside and for what reason he didn't understand as Mozzie set up his laptop. After a few minutes of setup which included the usual sanitizing of the laptop's keyboard, the little guy had it up and running, the flash drive pushed into a side port.

"You need to see this. I didn't believe it until this arrived but I had to wait. I wanted to share but he said not to until you had it figured out. You did... figure it out, didn't you Suit?"

Peter didn't understand at first until he recalled the note and anagram.

"Yes, Alden Hinckle minus a couple of letters spells Nick Halden. Why all the mystery? Who's Alden Hinckle and what does it have to do with Neal?"

He had finally sat down next to the con on the sofa, leaning over some to see the screen as Mozzie pushed a button.

"You'll understand in a moment, Suit..."

**oOoOoOo**

**Author's Note****: **_The mystery deepens! What is Mozzie about to show Peter on the PC? What happened to Neal? Who is this Alden Hinckle alias and why all the mystery? Read the next chapter to find out! ;)_


	3. Chapter 3

**(Chapter 3)**

There was an old man on the screen, eyes pale blue yet bright with intelligence, some sadness evident in the slightly wrinkled face. He looked to be a bit younger than Hughes but there was a familiarity there Peter thought he recognized. The man had a well groomed beard and moustache, nice suit with a tie pin that looked more than familiar. Where had he seen that pin before?

"_Peter... you probably won't recognize me but that's ok. I really don't know how to begin this tale or if telling it will fix anything. I only know that well... I haven't too much longer but I have to make things right while I can. I'm going to a place nobody can be tracked..._"

The agent blinked, thinking the voice sounded familiar too but thought the person it belonged to should be younger, something about the manner making him feel sadness he didn't quite understand yet.

"_I'm hoping you got the package. That should tell you more about who I am, Peter._"

Suddenly it all seemed to make sense although how, Peter wasn't sure as he gasped, sitting back a moment as Mozzie moved forward to pause the video. It couldn't be, could it? Peter felt everything inside him want to burst out and scream that it wasn't possible and yet...

"I know, all your worse conspiracy theories come true even if you aren't a believer in that kind of thing. I didn't believe at first either, Peter."

Mozzie was speaking low, a sadness in his tone as Peter turned to see the little guy wiping at his face and his glasses casually trying to hide his tears. Peter wanted to see the rest of the video but his mind didn't yet want to believe. Mozzie finally put his glasses back on, pushing play as the video progressed. The old man, blue eyes glistening some smiling sadly back.

"_I know... it's hard to believe. Mozzie's probably putting his best Men in Black, conspiracy theories come true angle on this but yes... something happened. I don't understand what but there's a reason I disappeared. A reason... (He wiped at his face, a watery look to those still very young looking eyes) a reason for why I'm talking to you here now from... from beyond the grave. Beyond time it seems._"

Peter blinked, looking at Mozzie who just gave a hapless shrug before his attention moved back to the still speaking, however unlikely it seemed, Neal Caffrey.

"_I'm older, much older than even you although that seems hard to believe. Who'd have thought I'd be talking to you from the other side and at 65. (Neal laughs but it's a sad hard laugh with little humor.) I had to live it all over again, Peter. I watched everything happen and had no means to stop any of it. You can't change the past but apparently you can be stuck reliving it. I'm proof of that._"

Peter is still trying to come to grips with the image on screen of a salt and peppery haired senior with blue eyes, nearly a mirror image of James but with a slight difference that makes him think Neal took after his mother. Peter wonders what happened to create this odd paradox taking his friend and partner away and sending an old man to him in a video. He pushes the button to pause it again, looking over at Mozzie.

"Did you take this for him? Did _HE_ come to you and tell you what happened, Mozzie? I need to know."

Mozzie looks at him but shakes his head, a sad look in his own eyes.

"I received a package right after... after Neal disappeared. I didn't know where it came from but I recognized the writing as his. I thought... I don't know what I thought but when I opened it up there was a note about the sketches and what to do with them and also... also another thumb drive with a movie like this just for me. Only a few months ago I received this one from the estate of Alden Hinckle. I recognized the anagram immediately. The note said to have you chase that name, set up a case file for you to find and work on. The uhm _kid_ in the apartment was paid from that note according to Neal."

Mozzie looked uncomfortable, standing up awkwardly as he glanced around as if looking for an escape before shrugging with some kind of defeated look and gave Peter his full attention. Mozzie had made the fake case file they were following per Neal. One of many clues...

"I could use a cup of tea, Suit."

The awkwardness continued as Peter nodded, feeling like he could use something himself if only as a distraction. He went to the kitchen, Mozzie following as he pulled out a bottle of wine after digging through the teas his wife had and realizing he was going to need more than caffeine and probably the con would too. He pulled out a goblet for the wine, putting it on the island for Mozzie to access as he pulled out a couple of beers for himself. They went back to the dining table and sat, sipping at their drinks as Mozzie coughed and smiled slightly.

"Good _tea_, Suit."

**()()()**

El returned home to find Peter and Mozzie somewhat less than sober in the living room, a mostly empty wine bottle beside the con man while her husband had close to 4 if not 5 empty bottles of beer by him which was unusual. Something had happened if her husband was drinking until drunk with Mozzie. She thought about the sketches as she made her presence known and both men turned to greet her.

"Hun... uhm... Mozzie came to visit. Didn't you Mozz?"

Peter was smiling crookedly, obviously tipsy as Mozzie blinked up at her and nodded somewhat more seriously than her husband. She had her arms semi-crossed over her chest, curious what to think of this as Mozzie moved over to the laptop, pulled out the usb and handed it to Peter before packing up a bit shakily.

"I'll... uhm leave you to the explanations, Peter... Night, lizbeth."

Mozzie left, going down the sidewalk with a wobbly gait, El watching until she moved back inside to see what Peter was up to. He was looking sleepy, slumping over the sofa with thumbdrive in hand, eyes staring hard at it as if it might talk back.

"Hun... Peter."

She watched him glanced up at her finally, cradling the small device in his hands.

"He's... gone."

Peter's voice sounded so final, empty and drained despite being drunk. She sat beside him, slipping her heels off as she wrapped her arms around the man she married and felt him trembling.

"Honey... who's gone? Are you crying... Peter? What's wrong?"

She felt him shaking, leaning his head against her shoulder as he seemed to let go and cry, something Peter rarely did and he was more upset than she'd ever seen her husband. Something had bothered him, much as she wanted to ask, but El let him cry and get the worse of it out before asking again. He looked up and sniffled a bit, wiping at his face as she grabbed some tissues for him and he wiped at his eyes and blew his nose. His face was flush from crying, more so maybe from the alcohol.

"Sorry, El. I... I was thinking about Neal. I have to come up with the memorial soon. Hughes told me to consider it."

She sensed him hesitate, his grip on the small usb drive obvious as if he were keeping something from her but what it was on that drive that was bothering him was beyond her understanding.

"I'm sorry, Peter. I miss him too but maybe it is time to let go."

She watched him nod at her words, the drive still held tightly in his hand before her curiosity got the better of her.

"Is there something on that drive... about Neal, hun?"

El watched her husband stiffen slightly as if he might lie to her, something he rarely did before he nodded sadly, loosening the grip on it as if to hand it to her.

"I wanted to wait... finish the video before I told you about it. Mozzie says it was sent to him along with some other things I only recently came into possession of. I wasn't sure..."

He looked like a little boy, flushed cheeks, pink watery eyes and a matching nose as he turned and blew it noisily with a tissue. He missed his partner and she understood completely. Neal had been like a younger brother to him.

"It's ok, Peter. We can watch it later after dinner. Ok? Why don't you go upstairs and rest. We'll get some take out later. I was thinking Thai..."

**()()()**

Peter slept restlessly, running through the forest where he had last seen his friend and partner. He was yelling, no sound in the dream but for the drops of rain falling around him and ambient noise from insects and animals but he knew what he was yelling.

_Neal!_

_Neal, where are you?!_

_Neal!_

Suddenly he found himself down at the bottom of the falls, the one he had only seen from above. It had been too wet and dangerous to check the actual area at the time of the incident but later a team had gone out and combed the woods and falls. There had only been the usual flotsam left behind which included shreds of cloth from the ex-con's suit, his badge and some other things like a cufflink. There was no Neal even now as he slipped and barely managed to walk through the muck and soaked terrain until something caught his eye. Peter was still calling out, yelling for his friend, his voice muted while the sounds of nature and an angry seething water fall stormed around him. Something glinted in the background, beneath the falls, water spraying up around him like steam. He thought of the sketch Neal had left him, the figure in the spray...

Peter's eyes popped open, his pulse racing, heart pounding as he sat up almost immediately and gave a slight gasp of breath. It had felt so real, the cold drops of rain dripping down his cheek and off the tip of his nose and chin. The cool spray of the falls... it had been real for a moment as he came back to reality and realized it had been a dream. That was all it was although the video he had yet to finish lay in the back of his thoughts calling for him to finish it. He turned to pick up the usb where he had left it on the nightstand and found it missing, Peter looking around the bed and under the covers hoping to find it when he heard a sound in the background. It sounded like his wife talking softly, her tone off as he stood, slipping on some shoes as he left the bedroom and followed the sounds to the first floor.

"_I never meant to lie to you, Elizabeth. I didn't think... well you didn't know me yet so why would you suspect me of being anything but the kindly older man who appreciated your skills as an art gallery assistant curator. I just wanted to be sure... that you and Peter would be happy._"

He wasn't sure what to think about what he was hearing, that old voice so much like Neal's talking in the background as he moved closer to his wife where she sat at the dining table, back to him.

"_I wanted to be sure things went smoothly, maybe more so than they had. I only knew what you both had told me and what Mozzie had gleaned from his chats with you. You're the best thing for him, I know it... you know it... Peter knows... I couldn't change that he would chase me. I tried but time doesn't allow redos only...replays._"

Suddenly he heard her sniffle, El turning to get a tissue from the the box beside her when she saw him standing behind her, a slight blush to her cheeks. He noticed the usb was stuck in her laptop, the file she was watching indicated in the top of the viewer as: For El. Neal had left a video for his wife too. She quickly paused the player, looking up at him guiltily, eyes red from crying as he sat beside her and hugged her tight. Once they had had a few minutes, her sniffles lessening, her blue eyes met his.

"I was curious... I mean it's Neal. You were upset obviously, I wanted to know what was on here and I saw the video marked Peter and one with my name. What... what happened to Neal, hun? I don't..."

He saw the questions there he himself asked watching the first part of his video. How? Why? These were questions he didn't have answers for.

"I don't know but... Suddenly... I recall someone that looked like him, a man at the scene when I picked Neal up... with that same look, graying hair and beard. They led me to Neal. Gave me the tip to catch him..."

Had Neal turned himself in to the agent? The voice on the phone with the tip had sounded both familiar and older now that he thought back. Would the con have done such a thing to make sure... Could he have set things up so they would be partners?

"Hun, what is it Peter? You look like you figured something out."

He nodded, dumbfounded by the revelation.

"Neal... he turned himself in. Alden Hinckle turned him in."

That's why the name had been familiar, although at the time he had only heard the last name. El gently grasped his arm in hers, blue eyes glittering at him.

"Hinckle? That was the man who was at the gallery when we met. He said you were shy that I should make that sign. That was... was Neal?"

He watched her face pale a moment then the color returned and she was laughing, a low chuckle at first then something more playful and happy. He joined her in the laugh, a release of sorts coming through as they relaxed and smiled at the thought of their friend being the one who set them up.

"I can't believe... What a sly trickster!"

El was still smiling, wistfully at the thought of Neal being their matchmaker and the idea made the agent smile a bit more broadly.

"That is just... Maybe we should watch the rest?"

Peter was ready to push the button but El shook her head.

"Dinner... I wanted to get some Thai. We can watch it in a moment, hun. First, food. I need to uhm... _digest _all of this a moment."

**()()()**

After a good dinner they finished watching the videos but were no more certain why Neal sent them or what he thought to accomplish by doing so. It was just more pieces in a puzzle Peter couldn't yet figure out. El was leaning against him, eyes shut as she yawned and finally gazed up at him.

"There's a reason he did this, hun. He trusts you... Neal knows you'll figure this out. So do I."

She hugged and kissed him, snuggling a bit closer as he did the same back, feeling that sense he owed the con something not because of any obligation but because they were like family. Neal wanted him to do something. Maybe...

His mind went back to that day at the ridge, seeing his friend fall back as the gunman shot and the cliff side crumbled. Neal had vanished down into the roiling rapids below.

"Honey..."

El was gently turning his chin around to face her again but he was thinking of the videos. It didn't make sense. None of it made any sense and yet... Neal had been the one to turn himself in. Alden Hinckle had been there to make sure things went as they should.

"Just thinking... I guess we should go up to bed. Getting late."

He watched her nod back as they turned off the computer, putting it away as they turned out the lights and headed upstairs. Satchmo was in the corner on his pillow as they went up to bed, Peter's thoughts on Neal's words.

_There was something I had to do. He... I told me that you would know the answer, Peter. I told myself to trust you and I did._

Peter kept hearing those words as he slept, tossing slightly as the dream of the falls came back. He was slipping through the wet ground, rocks making it treacherous to walk as he called out for Neal. He kept looking at the falls, something glittering just inside... something making him squint into the raging river as he started to make out something.

_I trust you Peter..._

The voice was close, Peter turning to see who spoke but finding himself awake, staring up at the ceiling in his darkened bedroom.

**()()()**

The next day at work dragged on. Peter let the team know the Alden Hinckle case was a fake. Finding info with Mozzie's help to show that it wasn't what they thought. Diana and Jones moved on to some other case files in the stack, no other big cases at the moment for Peter to take on. He wanted time to let the events of the past 24 hours sink in. The sketches and videos were confusing at best but somehow, Neal had been there watching and they had missed him. The agent sighed, wiping at his brow and feeling something wet on his hand. He figured it was sweat, the AC out on their floor as he glanced at his hand and blinked. There was something red, thick and dripping down the side, drawing his mind back to that day... when Neal vanished.

_I'll meet you at the car. I promise. Just go Peter... I have a plan._

_I'm coming back if you aren't there in 30 minutes, Neal!_

The con had smiled back at him with a sad almost wistful expression.

_Everything will be ok, Peter. I promise. I'll see you... soon._

Peter saw the con man wave him away, the sound of their pursuer coming closer as he hobbled as quickly as he could towards the car. He had barely made it 5 yards when he heard the sound of a shotgun blast where he had just left. The blast echoed off the hills as he paused, rain dripping down his face. He was in pain but he was more worried about his partner as he pulled out his piece, moving back through the trees as silently as he could, eyes alert to movement as he came back to the clearing and saw Neal standing there, hands up as he moved tentatively backwards towards the edge of a small cliff. There was a large man with dirty blond hair under the hood of his camouflage colored raincoat. His dark eyes narrow like a predator as they squinted at his partner, the consultant obviously in a bad spot as Peter moved forward.

_Pretty boy gets to be the decoy... nice. I'm surprised someone as soft looking as you made it past Quantico..._

The man thought Neal was an agent like him, the cocking of the shotgun as loud as a blast as it echoed over the song of insects and birds and the soft sound of rain falling. Nobody saw him yet as he crouched painfully behind the brush on his bad leg, vision blurry some not only from the rain in his eyes but the knock to his head. Maybe he should have gone back to the car but Peter knew he couldn't leave his friend to fight the man alone.

_FBI! Put your weapon down!_

Peter stood up, gun pointed at Darren Erics steady and sure. He saw the man turn slowly, nearly black eyes staring into him if not through like he wasn't there.

_Big brother comes to the rescue. Ha... Feds are like cockroaches, always coming in groups but I have a feeling... It's just the two of you._

He laughed coldly, no emotion as he turned his attention back to Neal as if Peter didn't matter. Erics was a name that had floated around their cases in the past: Intimidation, theft, violence... murder. Neal was looking at him without turning his head, fear evident in his eyes but his outer manner was braver than normal. Something felt off, until he noticed his friend tapping his finger in a certain manner.

_**S  
**_

_**H**_

_**E**_

_**L**_

_**F**_

Peter didn't understand as he cocked his gun loud enough to draw a small side look from their perp and tormentor again. He felt a chill from the stare but held his own as he stepped a bit closer.

_I said... PUT your weapon DOWN!_

Erics smiled and laughed as if at a funny joke, Peter's peripheral on Neal who was edging closer to the cliff's brink. He was still trying to figure out what shelf meant, the con's eyes looking over as their gunman turned and pulled the trigger.

Peter shot his own gun a second after, seeing Erics stiffen and curse as he dropped the shotgun to the ground, something dark and red mixing with the rain on his sleeve. He had hit the man in the arm, cocking his weapon when Erics tried to grab up his gun again. He hobbled over quickly, cuffing the man behind when something came back to him.

_Neal? NEAL?!_

The young man was nowhere to be seen, Peter panicking as he tried to figure out where his partner had gone.

_NEAL!?_

He was closer to the cliff's edge now, about to look over when someone pulled him back, his chest growing tight as someone's hands wrapped around his neck and mouth. He couldn't breathe, Peter struggling until finally his vision began to gray and finally turn to black and he passed out. The agent floated in that darkness for a while, thoughts and ideas passing before him making him think he was awake but he wasn't. He... Peter was unconscious, cold and shivering but restricted. He tried to move and couldn't, struggling to remember how when he had been at work... There had been a case file on Neal...

_SHELF_

The word floated before him like some odd diagram and then suddenly he gave a gasp of breath, eyes open but everything gray and semi-dark around him. There was a roaring sound not too far off as he tried to sit up and couldn't move, arms bound behind him with cuffs and an addition of duct tape and chains. He was nearly immobile, the chain wrapped around an enormous boulder he could just make out in the dimly lit space. Dripping water echoed nearby, and something hit him on the forehead making him look up bleary eyed as it hit him again. Small droplets from an overhead stalactite, his memory fuzzy as to why he was here. Hadn't he just been at work? He did his best to shift and move some to get more comfy when he noted a sound of breathing and footsteps moving closer. Someone else was here.

"_He's still out cold. No... I didn't know they were coming out here but it was just him and the other agent. Yes... two of them. They were at the cabin. Witness is no longer an issue._"

It was Erics' voice as he kept quiet and tried not to make too much noise. Peter listened a while longer as the man continued to talk, obviously pacing as he did so and sighing with frustration.

"_This wasn't part of the deal, not that I don't like to kill a cop or two off and on but the Feds and Marshall's have been swarming this place for the past 3 days._"

The voice sounded angry and not happy in the least, he didn't doubt agents were looking for him... Neal. Suddenly a flash of memory came back to him and he saw Neal's eyes looking at him in a sidelong glance, hand tapping at his leg and the word that made no sense came back to him. What had Neal meant? He'd been trying to tell him something. Had Peter gotten the message wrong? Shelf? Why would the young man say that and where...

"_Already told you, it's all taken care of. The other one is dead. I've only held onto this Fed in case they found me while they searched the hills. I won't be taken in and he's my insurance that won't happen. No... I have supplies for a few more days if not longer._"

The voice was getting closer, Peter uncertain he wanted to be awake when they showed as he closed his eyes and went limp. He heard the footsteps come closer until they were right beside him, a hard boot pushing at him but he remained limp until the man walked off again, voice still on the phone.

"_Yes... I'll call you when it's done._"

There was a soft beep that echoed from somewhere down the cavern, Peter uncertain what to think of the words he was hearing. If someone was dead... he thought about his dream and Neal. Parts of it were coming back to him but mostly it was a mishmash of nonsense he didn't understand. The image that returned to him most clearly was Neal's eyes meeting his a moment before he shot at Erics and he lost track of his partner. Where was Neal? He couldn't be... Peter had to hope the man was wrong, his confusion at the word "Shelf" still floating in his head as he felt a headache come on. He'd already had a bit of a gash from his fall down the incline but he'd been knocked out and nearly strangled to death making his chest hurt some as he gave a quiet cough and hoped it didn't echo back to his captor.

"So you finally woke up... thought you might be playing possum."

Peter turned his head to see Erics staring at him from behind a large stalagmite, dark eyes twinkling in the half light. He couldn't move much as he stared back at the man, uncertain he had a voice with his lips chapped and throat dry. The gunman seemed to know what he was thinking, drawing out a canteen and smiling down at him coldly as he took a sip.

"You've been asleep for some time, agent. Mind giving me a name? I didn't find an ID on you..."

Peter didn't know what to say, throat tight with a combination of fear, exhaustion and anger. This man had possibly killed his partner and meant to kill him as he stared back darkly.

"Go... to... Hell..."

It was raspy at best but the man laughed, moving closer as he grasped his chin in one large hand tightly and pushed Peter's head up so they were eye to eye.

"You have balls... So, I guess if you're my collateral I need to keep you alive just in case."

Erics pulled him up into a seated position against a large slimy stalagmite holding the water bottle up to his lips.

"You'll be happy when it's over, agent. I don't play nice..."

Peter would have spit the water out but he was thirsty as he took a small tentative sip then one with more earnest, the cool liquid flowing down his throat thankfully. He had barely had a few sips when the bottle was yanked away and a cold laugh echoed near him.

"No food but water... I can give you enough so you won't die. Most don't need much more than water and with just the right amount you'll be alive but weak. You'll join your agent friend soon enough..."

Erics got up and moved away, bottle going with him as Peter watched helplessly. Where was he going? The agent wondered where Neal was and if Diana and Jones were out searching for them. He licked at his lips, leaning back in his sitting position against the rock and feeling himself start to give in to exhaustion. Wakefulness had been fleeting at best and now... he was passing back into oblivion again as Peter's eyes shut and was back in the land of sleep.

**()()()**

He was cold, that was his first impression... and wet. He sensed there were shreds of a shirt on him and pants but they were soaked through as he started to come back to wakefulness. The cold numbed him for a few minutes until finally something else made him wish he was still unconscious: _pain_. Had he broken anything? For a moment he wasn't sure where the pain radiated from as his whole body seemed to be in a slight state of confusion as his muddled thoughts were. Still the pain was all over and after his body started to feel a bit more awake he could tell where the worse of his aches came from. His left shoulder was dislocated, arm askew from where it should be as he sensed he lay on some damp muddy yet smooth surface. His right hand moved when he tried to get a grip on the ground and felt nothing underneath it as his eyes opened and glanced around at the scenery.

There was a magnificent view before him had he been here for that but it was blurry in spots as his vision fuzzed in and out of focus. Maybe he had a concussion, an explanation for his memory being out of sorts as he gazed down where he lay on his right side and saw the reason for nothing being there. He was on the edge of a very small rock face that stuck out like a kind of arm or shelf. He scooted back slowly, sliding more than scooting in the wet muck that lay on top. The shelf was no more than a small peninsula of rock at best and if he had fallen... his eyes moved upwards and saw he had fallen at least a story down to this perch and was lucky to be alive wherever here was. There was a bit of an overhang covering him from the cliff above, a hint of voices under the roar of the falls below and the general sounds of rain and nature.

"_No sign of..._"

He couldn't hear the rest, opening his lips to speak and finding he had no voice to call out. He glanced around for something to make a noise but the small shelf of rock was bare but for him and the mud slowly eroding from the rain fall.

"_... look over there._"

He glanced up at the sound of a man speaking, seeing a hint of shadow above him in the gloom before it was gone. He wanted to curse but not even his frustration could be voiced as he lay back against the rocky cliff face and tried to think. What was he doing here? Where was he? Who...

_I'm coming back if you aren't there in 30 minutes..._

The voice was faint, a memory of someone talking to him, a slight pain in his head as he tried to remember who and why. Where was he supposed to be and who was this person that sounded worried for him? There was no visual memory, just the sound of someone speaking. Something about the voice made him feel safe, secure as he slumped back and felt himself fall back into the darkness again.

**oOoOoOo**

**Author's Note****:** _So it was ALL a dream. I'll explain it all soon. Yes... weirdness but there are reasons._


	4. Chapter 4

**(Chapter 4)**

Peter was back at the office, reality left behind as he came too where his dream had ended before he'd remembered what had happened and where he really was. The agent was still uncertain of a few details but one stuck out as he slumped back in the chair in this dream version of his office realizing Neal might be dead. He wiped at his face, sweat trickling down his temples but even if the dream felt real, he knew this wasn't where he currently resided. His mind was creating a more neutral landscape for him to relax in but he had to find Neal or at least get himself free from Erics and...

"Boss? They said they would fix the AC soon. Did you want something cold from the deli? Hughes authorized an ice cream or drink delivery."

Diana seemed so real as he automatically nodded, the heat unbearable but not the worse he'd felt. Maybe he was feverish? He was trying to remember why he would think that as he stood and walked out with her.

"I'll join you if that's ok. I could use some air."

His colleague nodded, Jones just downstairs in the bullpen to greet them. He was sweating a bit himself.

"This heat is unbearable. You'd think..."

The agent didn't finish his words, Peter waiting for his friend to continue when he found the scene suddenly fading to gray and his eyes opened back to the semi-darkness of the cavern. He was still tied up but the chain was no longer around him, eyes adjusting to the darker light and sweat dripping down his face as he realized he was hotter than he liked, a cold chill making his body ache. Was he running a fever? Footsteps came closer and he could just make out the form of Erics moving towards him. The gunman crouched beside him, dark eyes sparkling at him in the dim light.

"Looks like your friends left. Only been 3 days and they gave up on you so soon. I'm sure your buddy is out in the ocean by now. They never found his body..."

That's when Peter noticed the radio, a police scanner attached to the man's belt. Erics was listening in on the FBI and Marshals' investigation. He watched the man's eyes give him a once over before quickly pulling him up to his feet and holding a gun to his neck as he cut his legs loose.

"You're going to walk out of here, Agent. You're going to join your friend in the river."

Erics pushed him ahead, Peter's legs weak and sore but keeping him up despite everything. He felt tired, hungry and achy. He was going to die but maybe he could think of something along the way. Peter didn't want to give up while El was worried about him and Jones and Diana were hopefully still looking for them. His feet shuffled along, slipping a bit on the water slick surface. The sound of roaring he'd noticed before was getting closer he thought as a sense of fresher air and a breeze could be felt. Finally he squinted, Erics pushing him towards a bright opening and out into the gloomy yet still bright outdoors. They were under a rock overhang where the falls came down just a few yards ahead. Peter was poked by the gun again so he moved ahead tiredly, squinting in the brighter light and getting wet as they pushed through the falls along the side through a narrow water slicked ledge. He was going to move further along but after a few yards Erics stopped him.

"Far enough, Fed. I have a rendezvous to keep and your story ends here."

Peter didn't know what to think, no chance for him to do much in his weakened condition, arms bound tightly behind him. He could head butt the guy and try to run but the path was narrow and slippery. Peter wouldn't get far but he didn't want to end it here either. The gunman smirked, glancing over the edge a moment then back at him.

"You could try something but you're weak... How far would you get on your own, Agent?"

Erics chuckled lightly, holding up the gun to Peter's chest.

"I'll do you a favor and make it quick. I haven't time to hang around and play with you..."

The gun cocked, Peter feeling his throat tighten in nervous anticipation. He heard the report but saw no flash from the gun, his eyes staring directly into Erics'. He wasn't going to show he was afraid even if he was, his thoughts on his wife when he noticed that something was wrong. Erics stared at him intently before his face went tight with pain and he watched his captor fall into the roaring river below. It took a moment for him to realize what had happened, turning around and then looking up for a sign of who might have rescued him.

"Hello?"

He called out tentatively, voice still very hoarse but nobody answered. He couldn't see anyone around unless it was an FBI sniper. Suddenly it occurred to him he was technically free save for his bound arms, the agent feeling a bit of the tightness leave his throat and chest as he moved away from the edge and made slow motions along the narrow path towards what he hoped was drier ground. His ankle was still a bit sore from the fall down the incline but he could walk on it after 3 days of being unconscious. Mostly he was hungry and thirsty, both making him feel a bit dizzy not just from seeing his captor shot but not knowing if whoever shot Erics had been there to help. He kept that in the back of his mind as he did his best to just concentrate on getting to safety. So far he was still alive, shuffling as best he could towards the treeline as he walked off the slippery rock and onto a slightly muddy but more solid surface. He saw a rock, something like an arrowhead on the path before him as he moved towards it hoping to use it cut his bindings. Peter had barely moved when he heard the cocking of a gun and froze. Erics had fallen into the river hadn't he? The man couldn't have gotten out this quickly He'd seen the red stain on his chest. The man should be dead. Peter turned slowly, uncertain what to expect when he blinked in surprise.

"Neal?"

**()()()**

He was dreaming, face twitching slightly as he did so. He saw himself staring across a hanger at an airstrip where a small plane sat. He felt a sense of freedom, he was going somewhere special although a slight sense of wariness hit him as he crossed the cement to the blacktop beyond.

_You said goodbye to everyone but me..._

He turned, the voice one he felt familiar with. Safe. But that wariness remained as he stared across the space and saw two brown eyes. There was nothing but those two honest brown eyes looking at him, worrying about something.

_You know why..._

There was a hesitation as he answered back, his manner light but it was forced as he tried not to feel... guilt. Leaving wasn't his choice but it was the only thing he could do. He wanted to stay, those brown eyes telling him to remain there but the plane was waiting. She...

_Tell me..._

Those brown eyes drew him back, made him want to stay where he was. He was tired of running and being alone. This person worried about him but he didn't understand why. That's what confused him, a headache forming behind his eyes as he came to and saw he was no longer at the hanger from his dream but stuck on that rocky ledge from earlier. The rain had stopped, only a drizzle remaining but he had to get off of here to safety. He remembered someone had been above him but the light was different so time had passed. He needed help, pulling himself up to his feet and looking for a way up. There were handholds but the rock was muddy and slippery as he slowly inched his way up, his left arm useless. He could move it ok but it was hurting from the fall, however he had fallen to this jutting rock from above. Something told him he had been in worse situations, pulling himself up carefully, using his socked feet to get him more leverage until he was able to drag himself up over the top and lay securely on solid ground. He was exhausted, body aching but he had to get help as his eyes roved around and fell upon something on the ground a few feet ahead. It shone dully in the gray overhead and the mud it had fallen into. It was cold in his hand and something told him he didn't want to keep it but the memory of things he couldn't quite grasp at made him pocket the item as he limped through the damp forest.

It was some time later, maybe moments maybe hours, his mind still confused by the memory of the hanger and the man with brown eyes as the visual stuck with him. It felt real but his mind refused to tell him anything else as he moved towards the sound of the falls and looked down from the ridge. There were two figures there, one of them with brown hair, arms behind them and another with a dark camouflage jacket that kept their face hidden away. He sensed a fear wash over him from the last figure, his hand gripping the item in his pocket as he watched the two figures make their way around the edge of the falls. It was obvious the man with the camouflage jacket was about to do something bad, his hand raising as he watched the brown haired man turn and look at the other one bravely. Something in the back of his mind told him this was just a show but that the brown haired man wasn't a coward. He had to help, his hand raising up a bit more then...

The sound shocked him as he watched the two figures, the camouflaged one slumping after a moment and disappearing into the river below while the one with brown hair watched. He didn't know what he was doing, pushing his hand back into his pocket and moving away as if in a trance.

_This isn't you... Look at me... LOOK. AT. ME!_

Someone was talking to him, drawing his attention from a man with pale blond hair. The man looked scared, frightened and he was terrified but angry, the last emotion taking over. She... she had been waiting for him and now... The blond man had done something.

_**LOOK. AT. ME!**_

He turned, no person matching the voice but he had a vision of brown eyes meeting his. There was a worry there, a fear but finally he knew the man behind them was hopeful, true concern there. The man cared.

The memory ended and his eyes moved towards the tree line he had skirted, seeing a figure moving slowly from the falls towards him. He pulled his hand back from his pocket, raising it up. The brown haired man paused, stiffening at the sound the gun in his hand made. He didn't like guns but he had to protect himself... protect someone else. He had been doing that when he'd fallen, he remembered that much but not who as the hanger scene returned and slowly he found himself seeing those brown eyes staring back. The memory faded and still those brown eyes stared at him, a fear there now and then a more relaxed stare back as the man with brown hair smiled softly at him.

"Neal?"

The name meant nothing and yet a flash of memory returned to him, the man with brown hair and eyes speaking to him. They were sitting on a nice balcony or terrace, New York city sparkling in the night as they shared a drink. Slowly the scene came back to reality and he moved forward, gun still raised in his hand as the man remained still.

"Neal..."

The man kept calling out that name but he didn't speak back finally making a motion for the man to turn. Brown eyes looked at him curiously but he just made the motion for him to turn again, the brown haired man nodding.

"I trust you, Neal."

He watched the man turn slowly until his back was to him and he moved forward, gun in his pocket as he started to untie the man. The knots had been done securely but he was able to loosen them with some effort, using his other hand to help despite the pain from his dislocated shoulder. Finally the brown haired man was free, turning back to face him with a look of worry. The expression made his memory flash another scene, the man was crouched beside him where he sat on the floor, a strange feeling of drunkenness overcoming him.

_You're the only one..._

_The only one what?_

_The only one I trust..._

The man put a gentle hand on his head, a comfort there as his vision returned him to the present and the brown haired man again, those honest eyes staring back at him curiously.

_Peter..._

The man's name was _Peter..._

He worked for... the FBI.

Suddenly everything seemed to come back to him, a rush of images, voices and memories all at once like a flood hitting him like a tidal wave as he blinked and looked at the man again.

"P... ter."

The man nodded, smiling back as he moved closer and gently put a hand on his shoulder. He winced slightly, his bad shoulder reacting to the touch gentle as it was. He noticed the man remove his hand and frown, a concern there he suddenly understood as his memories seemed to give him more insight. He wasn't alone. He had a name now: _Neal_.

**()()()**

Peter frowned. Neal looked pretty beat up, much as he felt but they had to hold out a while longer for help. He was certain they weren't far from their original entry to the woods.

"Neal... We have to call for help. Think you can make it back to the car?"

He hoped it was still out there but after 3 days he thought it may have been towed back but it was worth a shot in case they ran into other agents. Erics couldn't be right that nobody was looking for them. He needed to know people were looking for them. Neal needed help, the younger man looking at him curiously. It was obvious his partner and friend had amnesia or at least something akin to shock, his manner off. There was a blankness in those normally bright eyes and he suspected Neal had shot Erics but he could only guess at this point as he felt the weight of the gun in his pocket. Neal had given it to him without a fight, no hint of wariness once he seemed to understand who he was and remembered his own name. It was apparent though that the con still had some doubts, their walk silent due to both of them being tired and beat up if anything.

"Peter..."

He turned, looking at the consultant whose eyes seemed just a bit duller than before. Something was wrong as he paused and gave his friend all of his attention.

"What is it, Neal?"

The light was starting to grow dimmer, the sun lower in the sky as they made their way through the woods and the agent started to suspect they were lost. They might have to make camp soon but he was hungry and thirsty and he suspected Neal was too. They were both worse for wear as he saw the younger man draw his thoughts together.

"I shot... him. Erics."

It was a quiet truth, the words strong but full of fear. Neal knew it was against his agreement and parole to kill another person much more have a gun but Peter wasn't going to let him get in trouble. It had been a momentary lapse and nobody had to know the specifics with Erics out of the picture. The man was dead. End of story. Much as revenge wasn't in his nature, Peter understood the implication of what had happened. He had killed Adler to save his partner. He was no saint.

"You did it for the right reasons, Neal. Nobody has to know. I'll take the blame."

He saw those blue eyes staring into his as if trying to read some ill intent but finally blinking back, head nodding as a sad smile crossed his face. He could tell that his friend was still confused. Neal was with him if only just, nothing like the usual lively personality he was used to. This was a quieter version of his friend or maybe he was hurt more than he thought but Peter couldn't do much while also exhausted and just running on fumes. He heard his stomach growl and sighed, Neal looking at him a moment then away again. He thought about something but put the idea away for a moment. They couldn't be too far from where they had parked but if they ended up lost, it would be easier going back towards the falls and finding shelter there. Neal trudge quietly along with him, Peter not feeling too talkative himself but once in awhile they would stop and he would talk to his friend to comfort both of them.

"I hope El isn't too worried. She hates it when I don't show up for dinner... or breakfast."

He watched Neal blink at him a moment then a slight smirk form on the younger man's face, his head leaning back against a tree trunk as they sat on the damp ground and took a breather. He didn't remember it taking this long to get out to the ridge when they were chased by Erics but maybe his memory of the time was skewed by three days unconscious. At worse he could shoot something for them to eat but Peter was still feeling a bit off from his 3 days without food much more little water as he moved to rise. His legs were a bit shaky a wave of dizziness making him feel a bit sick until it passed and he moved to nudge Neal awake.

"Come on Neal. We need to keep moving."

It was getting dark now, the sun just passing below the horizon but still giving enough light to see by. He had nothing on him for light or a fire and he doubted Neal did from the looks of it. Their only other choice if the car didn't pan out was to go back to the falls. He remembered Erics saying something about supplies and food. He could only guess they were in the cave if not that cabin they'd gone to see the witness at. Which way had that been? Peter tried to think as he nudged his friend again.

"Neal..."

His partner didn't move, eyes shut but the young man's face was relaxed, jaw slightly slack but not open as Peter crouched beside Neal and opened one eye. He saw the larger pupils and now he saw the gash just under the young man's hairline, blood washed away with the rain with only dark clots hidden in his hair. He shook his friend gently, feeling for breath and a pulse and finding both. Neal was alive but he had passed out, Peter ready to do the same but trying to keep moving for their own sake. The sun was already beneath the horizon with only a hint of light coming across through the trees. He couldn't carry his friend so Peter sat there, making Neal comfortable as he stayed beside him, his own eyes feeling heavy. Could he make a fire with loose wood? He glanced around trying to find something to keep active with but everything around them was still damp from the rain. He'd need something to actually make a fire with, pulling out the gun as he crawled a few feet away, pushing some small bits of twigs, moss and a bit of his own shirt for kindling. He shot the cloth, watching it singe and then a bit of flame flicker as he moved in to blow on it and keep it alive. It was weak at best, smoke rising up in a small snaking spiral before it went out. Everything was too wet and both men needed some way to keep warm as he cursed, turning back to see Neal hadn't moved. The gunshot hadn't woken his friend as he went back and checked for a pulse and breath again. Neal was still with him and for now he would have to be happy with that as he leaned the con against him and tried to keep them both warm as the night gathered around them, the air growing slightly cooler.

"We'll be ok, Neal. Everything will be ok."

**()()()**

_Earlier..._

Jones sighed, running a hand over his hair as he turned at the sound of someone else walking over. It was Diana, her own face set in a worried frown. It had been three days, the rain hampering their search for both Peter and Neal. They're found the cabin on day one, a trail leading there before they saw the body inside. Forensics found enough evidence despite the weather to prove their colleagues were there but not where they had gone.

"No sign of either Caffrey or Burke. It's as if they vanished along with the person who killed Davids. He was our key witness to putting Erics and his men away."

She sounded tired and frustrated, everyone damp from the bit of drizzle falling around them. The weather was getting cooler, the sky gray enough to match the gloom of their moods. Jones nodded back, pointing back the way they had come.

"They were parked that way. Let's look over there. We might find some clue."

She nodded back, Jones following his fellow White Collar agent. They had missing persons working on this as well but they had insisted on mounting a collaborative effort if only for a few days to find their missing agent and consultant. Hughes gave them three days, telling both Barrigan and himself to back off and give forensics and Rice their space. It had been a difficult decision but they'd agreed. Three days had gone by faster than they hoped, the agent glancing back over at the falls below before following Diana into the brush. They only had today and then they were off the case. They had to make their search mean something.

**()()()**

_Neal..._ that's what the brown haired man called him. It sounded ok for a name but at the moment he wasn't sure that's who he was. He held the gun before him uncertain what to think as he noticed little things suddenly that made curious. The man was bound with rope, his arms pulled tightly behind him. He didn't feel any fear as he had looking at the man in camouflage so maybe his intuition was right. He felt some ease around this person but until he knew why...

He motioned for the man to turn, a hesitation there before the man said he trusted him and finally turned. They were both hesitant, "_Neal_" moving to untie the man as he pushed the gun into his pocket and worked at the rough knotted line. He could see where it had dug into the man's light skin, small welts and bruises there and hints of something larger like chains having bound the man. He felt a kind of anger at the idea of someone hurting him but he wasn't sure why, the idea passing quickly as he finished and the man turned back around slowly, hands out in the open.

Neal was his name. The man knew him and as his mind started to settle and his thoughts coalesce he found he remembered more although his voice seemed to have left him, only a few words coming from his lips. He was tired more than anything, relieved in a way that Peter was there. The agent led him through the woods and finally they sat after what seemed more than an hour. Were they lost? He wasn't certain, no memory of their trek out to the ridge although they must have come out there, a faint glimmer of someone laying on the ground inside a cabin flashing before his eyes and then nothing. He sat down heavily, head leaning back against the rough wet bark of a large oak. Neal just wanted to rest, Peter talking to him off and on but he didn't feel much like talking. This wasn't his usual way but he was just too exhausted to use the energy, saving it for keeping on his feet. Now he was relaxed, the aches draining from his body some as he sensed his eyelids growing heavier, closing and then he was passing into oblivion again, someone gently shaking him but he couldn't respond. His body refused to move, Neal relaxing more than he wanted as the voice and sense of someone beside him vanished and he woke up to another reality.

_Peter?_

_Neal glanced around as he sat up on the ridge, his eyes moving towards the sound of someone gasping for breath. He turned to see the man in the camouflage jacket, back to him as he stood hovering over another figure on the muddy ground. The con wasn't sure what he was going to see as the figure moved aside ever so slightly and he saw a brown haired figure laying there, the mud darkening more beneath them by the moment. Someone laughed, cold dark eyes turning towards him as they pinned Neal in place like a snake with its prey._

_You're next, pretty boy._

_Neal felt his chest constrict, Peter's brown eyes looking at him where he lay dying in the mud. Erics had shot him. Neal raised his hand up, something cold and metallic in his hands. He pointed it between those black eyes..._

Neal woke up with a gasp, pushing to get up and run but he was having more problems breathing as he started to hyperventilate. Someone held him gently, wrapping their arms firmly around his chest to keep him still. He was panicking, elbowing the person holding him until they spoke.

"It's ok, Neal... wake up. You're dreaming. Breathe..."

Peter was talking to him, his chest still hurting but Neal nodded, finally giving in and relaxing enough that he could breathe in and out more comfortably. Once his body had settled he slumped heavily against his friend, a comforting hand smoothing his hair and patting him on the shoulder. He gazed around and saw it was dark, night having fallen at some point after he passed out. They were still in the woods and it was cooler than before, his body shivering slightly. He could sense Peter was doing the same as he sat up and turned to look at the agent, his friend's face bathed in shadow.

"Thanks... Peter."

He wanted to say more but he was still too tired to form the words he wanted to say much less a full conversation. His normally silver tongue had tarnished and he was happy to be able to speak at all. Peter nodded back, only a hint of movement in the darkness as the agent shifted beside him.

"Feeling better? I tried to make a fire but failed miserably. Everything's too damp from the rain but I think I know where we can find some supplies if you're up to it."

Neal nodded back, pulling himself up but feeling a strong hand gently ease him back to the ground.

"Rest some more. It's too dark to see without any light. I don't want to take another tumble down an incline."

Peter's voice was gentle, bemused in it's tone, Neal remembering wrapping the agent's ankle suddenly as the memory returned. They were fleeing the cabin and Erics. Peter had fallen through the brush down a steep incline, Neal following a little more agilely.

"I remember... wrapped your ankle with a sleeve from my shirt and my favorite tie. How is it?"

He'd sat down again, leaning against the tree in the dark as Peter sat nearby, his breath evident. The agent sounded tired but well as he tried to analyze how his friend was in the gloom.

"Better. 3 days unconscious and not moving must have healed it."

He gave a humorless laugh, Neal perking up at those words. _3 days?_ Had he lay out on that jutting rock that long? He gave an audible intake of breath without thinking about it, someone gently touching his shoulder and calming him. It was unnerving being in the darkness but he could stand it with his friend here.

"I thought... but it's ok now. You're here, Neal. When the light is up, I'm sure they'll be back to look for us."

Peter's voice continued to sound hopeful despite the current hopelessness of their situation. Neal wanted to curl up and give in, his body exhausted but a part of him felt the same as his friend, his hand moving to touch Peter's.

"I was just a surprised to find out how long... I'd been out. Sorry for the scare. I thought I had things planned out. Didn't expect hitting my head on the way down."

He reached up to feel the gash along his hairline, the spot still sensitive as he winced and he sensed Peter was worried but he reassured him. The agent patted his shoulder gently, pulling him closer.

"We have to keep warm. Rest, Neal. I'll take first watch."

Neal wanted to argue but once he was leaning against his friend, the little bit of warmth Peter offered seemed reasonable and his eyes were heavy with exhaustion. He knew his friend was also tired but his body gave into it, his head nodding slightly as he lay his head against Peter's shoulder and slowly passed into a light sleep.

_You said goodbye to everyone but me._

_You know why..._

_Tell me..._

_Because... Because you're the only one who could talk me out of this._

**oOoOoOo**

**Author's Note****:** _More excitement to come, I promise._


	5. Chapter 5

**(Chapter 5)**

Peter stayed awake, as much as he could under the circumstances, eyes drooping in the near gloom as he snapped alert at most sounds. Nothing big came their way, his memories of the dream coming back as he remembered thinking a bear or other large wild animal had possibly taken his friend away after the fall. It had been a dream though, Neal here with him now so he had nothing to worry about but making it through this one camp out as he fought to stay awake through the night. He kept an ear out for anything that might bother them, gun on his lap but the quiet breathing of Neal and his own exhaustion made him relax. At some point he must have fallen asleep, the darkness turning to that of a more tranquil scene.

"Honey... you're going to be late for work."

El was talking to him, Peter opening his eyes to find he was staring down at a plate of toast and eggs, the scent of fresh hot coffee wafting up to his nose from nearby. He thankfully bit into the toast and cut up some of the eggs, relishing the taste before taking a long sip of coffee. He heard a bemused chuckle from his wife as she sat across from him at their dining table.

"Don't wolf it down. You'll get sick. Neal said he would be waiting outside June's for you. I told him you were running a little late."

She leaned over to hold his hand, Peter kissing hers as he leaned over to give her a hug. He quickly finished up his food, El rolling her eyes at him. He had been working late nights on a case with Neal on some local thefts. At first glance it seemed to be a cat burglar but when banks reported that some of their more wealthier clients were missing items from their safety deposit boxes, it seemed they had a confidence thief on their hands. The current case identified the possible suspect as Darren Erics, normally the muscle at robberies but now pulling off cons pretending to be people he wasn't to get their valuables. The case had come to light when someone recognized that Erics was not the owner. The witness escaped with only a graze to his arm, now under police protection at the hospital in a private room. Peter was taking Neal to talk to the man now that they had a lead.

"Thank you honey. I should be home for dinner tonight. This case is open and closed."

El looked at him dubiously, standing up as he did to follow him to the door as he put on his jacket, overcoat and she handed him a large black umbrella. They gave another hug and kissed on the lips, a smile on his face when they pulled apart.

"I'll be waiting. Do you want Chinese tonight? I was thinking of getting take out. My client list is light today. I should be home around 4. Call me."

He hugged her one more time, taking in his wife's face and eyes. He was so lucky to have her as he nodded back.

"I will, hun."

Peter walked out the door, El smiling from the doorway and waving as he opened up the umbrella in the downpour outside. She looked happy, as happy as he felt at the moment as he slid into the driver's seat, gently pulling the umbrella in as he closed it and the door to keep out the rain. The car felt a bit muggy despite the cold air as he placed the umbrella on the floor in the back seat and pulled out into traffic. Everything seemed perfect, his mood happy as he heard the ring of his phone through the dash, picking up on his command.

"Burke here..."

He saw it was from Hughes, his boss' tone less than happy but not angry. Must be normal business.

"Sorry for the last minute change up but our witness ran. He was afraid Erics would come and kill him so he went off grid. Luckily they had put a tracker on his phone ahead of time. We know where he's hiding out. Care to take a visit to the woods?"

Peter heard the slight humor there but also the seriousness of what was happening. If they lost this witness, Erics would go free.

"Not a problem. We'll be a little late since I'm bringing Neal along. Is that ok?"

He waited for a reply, Reese answering without his usual sigh. He knew Caffrey got results with difficult witnesses.

"Not a problem but he's not fond of the woods with those fancy clothes and shoes of his. Clean up if you have to before you come back. The weather isn't looking like it's clearing up anytime soon. Drive careful, Peter."

The call ended, Peter looking at the time. He wasn't going to be as late as he thought, traffic pretty mild for this time of morning as he pulled up to June's. Neal was already outside, an umbrella of his own over his head as he saw him, waved, walked up to the vehicle and slid inside.

"Wet morning. Thought you'd be later from what El said."

Neal was smiling, dropping his umbrella beside him where he sat as the car pulled back out into traffic. Peter shrugged.

"Rain seems to have kept the traffic down more than usual. I think we'll be on time but we have an appointment before the office. Mind a visit to a cabin in the woods?"

He saw the look on his partner's face, blue eyes moving down to his fancy Italian leather shoes with a frown.

"I'm not exactly... dressed for a walk in the forest today. Neither are you. Is that code for golf course? Doubt anyone's taking in 9 or 18 holes on the green today, Peter."

Neal was smirking slightly but Peter shrugged again, keeping his eyes on the road and the large truck he was suddenly stuck behind.

"Our witness... _ran_. Thinks Erics is out to get him which may or may not be true. We're going to go talk to him. Get his statement and hopefully bring him back for his own safety."

The con perked up at those words, nodding as he understood what was happening. He smiled slightly as if something had just occurred to him.

"Hughes knows?"

Peter nodded back at his friend, a smile on his lips.

"He approves for once. Knows you're good with difficult witnesses. Wanna throw out the old _Caffrey_ charm?"

He emphasized the last bit with bemusement, Neal smiling brightly.

"Why of course. Oh... _This_ is from June. She gave me some extra croissants and coffee. Thought you may have rushed through breakfast."

**()()()**

The drive was uneventful, Peter feeling fatigued to some degree but Neal seemed to sense it unless he _was_ trying to annoy him. He kept messing with the radio buttons, chattering about things he wasn't too interested in but it kept him alert which helped and he was thankful for that as they turned off the main road to something that felt and looked less than desirable. Neal gave an audible sigh as mud hit the windows on his side, Peter pushing the wiper wash to clean off the mud the rain didn't get to.

"Is this even a road, Peter? Who is this witness we're going to see?"

Neal spoke as if they were going out to the farthest reaches but although it was just in the woods off a national reserve from the sign they passed, it was possibly not as bad as they thought.

"Richard Davids. He's one of the Directors at the _Gainesville Bank_ that Erics robbed. He walked in on the robbery and was nicked on the arm fleeing. He's our only chance to catch Erics in the act."

Peter noted Neal's interest, eyes perking up at the details.

"Erics shot him? I'd have run too. Should we have backup out here, Peter? Kind of isolated but I guess that's what Davids was going for. Probably figured in this weather nobody, except us, would follow him."

Neal leaned in to check the GPS they were using to track the signal to their witness, Peter pulling the car up to a clearing just up out of the mud on more level ground. Once they were parked, the agent smiled at his partner as he grabbed up his umbrella and Neal did the same.

"Should just be beyond this tree line about 10 yards. I have an extra pair of sneakers if you're interested. Just realized my gym bag is in the backseat."

Peter reached around, changing his shoes out as Neal nodded.

"Sounds like an idea."

They were in their work clothes but now wearing white sneakers on Peter and black on Neal which worked out as they trudged out into the soggy ground and woods, Peter in the lead with his phone in hand.

"Looks like the signal is... just ahead."

He turned and saw that Neal was gone, glancing around curiously for the consultant as the agent tried to think where he'd lost his friend and partner. The woods seemed deeper suddenly, far less friendly than they had when entering. The light was fading away, Peter looking down to see his phone had lost its signal as he called out.

"NEAL?"

There was a slight echo back of his voice but no reply as he turned to head back but found the path less than familiar. He'd just walked in a straight line so the car... wait, the trees were closing in, the light fading to a dim gloom. He felt panic, turning around and calling out for his friend but not seeing him anywhere around. What had happened to Neal? This didn't feel right.

"NEAL!"

Peter came to, his heart racing, sitting up in the dim light of early morning. For a moment he didn't understand where he was, the cold wet ground beneath him alien as well as the aches and pains. He'd been with Neal, in the woods but... That's when he noticed the lack of weight against him, his eyes looking around to see that Neal was gone. Peter felt a new panic rising as he stood on shaky legs and glanced around in the still mostly dark woods.

"Neal?"

Maybe his friend had walked off to do something or find water or... His thoughts went darker but he shook it off, looking for clues to where the younger man had gone.

"Neal?!"

His voice echoed back but he heard and saw nothing over the usual nature sounds and distant roar of the falls. His friend was missing and the dream seemed to have told him or he had sensed it in his sleep. Neal had left him but he wasn't sure why or where as he continued to look around the small clearing they'd been in before he picked a direction and started walking, calling his friend's name.

"NEAL!"

The sun was coming up higher in the sky but still just below the horizon as he sighed, coldness unrelated to the weather or temp making him shiver.

Peter walked for a few yards, his body shivering still from the cold and worry. He was hungry, exhausted and the sound of the falls was starting to grow louder. Maybe he should have headed back towards where he thought the car had been but they were technically lost and maybe going to the falls would help him recall what path they'd taken. He would also have a better view of the ridge where he had thought... thought he'd lost Neal at. He pushed the thought aside, seeing the treeline was thinning out some yards ahead. Peter hoped Neal was ahead, his own thirst attracted by the thought of the falls as he started to walk a bit faster. Maybe if he had been less tired he would have noticed the odd pile of leaves on the ground, the agent's foot slipping inside before something wrapped tightly around his ankle and the world suddenly went Topsy-turvy.

**()()()**

_Earlier..._

Neal woke up, the light still dim enough he couldn't see but a hint of his hand and the sleeping agent beside him. He was also cold, gently extracting himself from his friend and stretching quietly. His joints cracked and his shoulder still hurt from the fall. Mostly he could stand the pain but he really had to pee, moving away some yards to find a private spot. Once he was done, he made a note of where Peter lay, feeling his way around until he saw a faint light up ahead. Someone was here, in the woods. Maybe it was help? Neal moved towards the light, stepping carefully in his socked feet until he felt something wrap around his ankle and he was suddenly hanging upside down by his leg, the con uncertain what was going on until he saw what the source of the light was.

"Hello, pretty boy. So you lived."

The shadowy form walked around him like a predator, the light blinding him enough to not be able to see the face but the voice was unmistakable even as his fought to regain his equilibrium. His breath had caught from the surprise of being trapped so he couldn't speak yet, the man continuing to walk around him with quiet steps until he spoke again.

"Where's your agent buddy? He wandering around the woods at night too? Maybe I should put another lure out for him as well."

He sensed that his captor was playing with him, trying to get him to react but he was still too out of it to respond as the man laughed darkly and continued.

"Your friends stopped their search up here but I could make it look like a bear got to you if they do come back."

Erics' voice dripped with venom, Neal uncertain what to say as the light shut off, his eyes temporarily blinded to the gloom but not sound. He sensed movement behind him before something hard hit him at the base of the skull and he slumped more from where he hung, the darkness growing blacker until he was unconscious, memories of the past few days coming back to him.

_He remembered the look on Peter's face as he moved closer to the edge three days ago. The agent was yelling for Erics to drop his weapon but the man ignored him knowing they weren't able to stop him. Neal just hoped if he did what he planned... he glanced with his peripheral and saw the ledge below. It looked wide enough to catch him, not too far a fall but he had to time it just..._

_Something exploded near him, the shotgun blast obvious even in the rain. He was already ducking aside, out of range but the shot sprayed out, some of it nicking him along the brow, head whipping from the action as he slumped, the ground collapsing below him as he felt himself falling... falling into darkness._

Neal came back, gasping but it was hard to breath as he felt something stuffed in his mouth and tape pulled over his lips. He was hyperventilating, having problems breathing as he struggled to draw air through his nose, vision lined with gray. He could barely move, arms bound tightly behind him as he rolled around where he lay on rough cement and fought for air, face feeling flush and warm as he choked. Neal felt like he was close to death, vision starting to fade to black when someone yanked him up to a sitting position and pulled the tape off his lips, the cloth inside spit out as he coughed and choked trying to clear his lungs. He hacked and sputtered, looking up to see Erics crouched beside him with a large knife in hand and an evil look in his eyes.

"You're the first to wake up, pretty boy. Don't want you dying before I have my chance to kill you first..."

Erics gave him a horrific grin, Neal trying his best not to be intimidated but this was like being with Wilkes or Keller. They were killers and he stayed away from those types of men if he had the opportunity to do so. Right now he was stuck and it sounded like Erics had someone else with him but who?

"Your _agent _friend hasn't woken up yet. He wouldn't give me his name or badge number before. How about you? Do you want your next of kin to know where the pieces are buried?"

Neal was surprised if not still out of it, the question confusing him a moment as he caught his breath and glanced up at his captor. Erics thought he was an agent? He had faked being Peter before but would NOT being an agent make his case any better to getting away from this monster? Erics laughed.

"So why are you tethered to him? What crime did you commit to get posted as a _snitch_?"

The last word held more venom than the use of agent for Peter. Maybe his past wasn't going to get him out of this but he could try, eyes looking around for Peter but not seeing him in the bare cabin interior that seemed vaguely familiar.

"Not a snitch. Work release... I'm basically a _gopher_ if anything."

Neal tried to put enough dissatisfaction and contempt into his voice to make it believable although it was hard with his vision graying from the near suffocation and the hit to his head. Erics chuckled darkly back at him.

"Coffee, no cream, two sugars? Get the file on this case or another... Sounds like he takes advantage of your true skills. What were you in for?"

Erics was giving him a different look now, seemingly believing him as Neal tried to be less than obvious about searching for some way out. He noted the bandage wrapped around the man's chest beneath his shirt. Erics had changed clothes but some obvious bruising and cuts indicated he might have fallen into the rapids and been tossed around before making it out despite Neal shooting him.

"Bond Forgery... and I wasn't trying to shoot you. Vision was a bit off from that fall."

He noted that Erics growled slightly at those words then smiled, patting him on the head like a child. It was annoying but Neal had to make himself smile enough to indicate he was happy to have the man's praise if anything. Maybe he could find Peter if he was set free... call Jones if the crook had a cell.

"That was a bad shot. Betting you don't use guns much in your line of work?"

Now he was just fishing for info, Neal shrugging as best he could as the man nodded back and gave a scary smile.

"Well then... there's not much for you to do but help me with our _mutual_ enemy... unless you want to join him?"

Neal shook his head as if he had no need to think otherwise. Really he didn't want to stay with the man any more than necessary but for Peter's sake he had to be free. Erics raised the large knife, turning Neal roughly around fear creeping over him but he relaxed and waited, the ropes cut from his wrists as he was set free. The tingling of his limbs was painful at first but slowly his circulation came back and he could feel his arms again, Erics cutting his legs loose as he pointed to the back of the cabin.

"Figured Davids didn't need this anymore. There's a bathroom back there to get washed up and some clothes that might fit you."

This was a change, the man giving him a wide berth but still looking like he'd skin him despite their sudden truce. Erics needed him for something but what it was...

"Thanks..."

Neal acted a bit on the dumb side hoping for some leverage if the man underestimated him.

"Don't take too long. I'm on a timetable."

The man's voice was cold, a feral smile on his lips as Neal nodded and headed towards the small back area of the cabin. It was a separate bedroom when he pushed the door open, small but rustically homey as Peter or El might call it. His friend wasn't there either, the con wondering where Erics would keep Peter as he closed the door and started to undress. He was in his boxers, tossing his ruined suit or what was left of it in the corner with some other bloodied clothes that he recognized as Erics from the day he shot him. His anklet was busted, the light offline so he cut it off with some scissors and felt an almost unhealthy fear Mozzie might call co-dependence on his part to the Man. He didn't like what the anklet represented but at the same time it was a safety he learned to live with. Peter would always find him...

He sighed, finding some clean jeans and a dark blue flannel shirt, white tee and some clean boxers when he dug through a drawer. He was going to fore go the shower but noticed all the mud, dirt on him as he passed a small mirror in the corner of the room. His hair was stuck to his hair and he had a few days growth from being unconscious. Probably a good thing to clean up if only to be able to be top of his game. Neal found a clean towel in a small linen closet and took it with him into the bathroom. It was small, the shower a bit narrower than he liked but the water was hot when he turned it on and it felt good against his skin, small scratches and injuries smarting a bit. He ducked his head under the spray and felt all the crud from the last few days washed away as he scrubbed with soap and managed to come out 10 minutes later sparkling. He found a disposable shaver and quickly but gently cleaned up his burgeoning beard and mustache until he looked close to himself.

"_You almost done, pretty boy?_"

Erics' voice was clear through the heavy wooden door, Neal calling back.

"Be right there."

He tried to sound cheerful but worry and fear threatened to dampen his spirits as he finished pulling on the clean clothes which were only a little baggy on him. Davids had not been a large man, possibly a bit thinner than Peter but he hadn't really paid attention, dead bodies one thing he stayed away from. He found some boots that looked like they'd fit and would keep his feet warm if not dry as he found thick woolen socks, pulling those on as he felt a twinge to his hurt shoulder. It was bruised and mottled but he could move it now if he was careful. Considering everything he was clean and had fresh clothes. Neal just had to find a way to contact help and rescue Peter, his thoughts on that as he stepped out of the room with a smile on his lips. Erics gave him an admiring glance.

"You'd think this was _your _home. Now... I didn't see anyone digging around the area, the main crew downstream... so we're going to get rid of your _friend _and you can tag along for my next job. You game?"

Neal nodded without hesitation, noting the police scanner on the table and a few other things in the room that might be handy. The scanner looked like it had taken a dunk with Erics but maybe it was waterproof or had time enough to dry it might still work. He would have to check it out when Erics was distracted so he could contact someone on the police band.

"Definitely. What kind of job?"

He was in this for the long haul or at least until he found Peter and help arrived. Erics smiled back.

"Details when the current one is done... Come on!"

**()()()**

Jones stopped the car, staring out across the clearing at the trees beyond and then back to Diana sitting beside him. There was no other sign of agents, Marshals or other search and rescue crew around. They had moved further down river hoping for something to show if Peter or Neal had fallen into the stream and been washed away. The thought bothered him as he heard a cough, Diana peering at him. They were both dressed casually in jeans, sweaters and a warm jackets. He had on some dark brown hiking boots and Diana had something similar on, her boots going up to her knees. Technically they weren't supposed to be here at all, Hughes telling them to stay away after yesterday. Their three days were up but they refused to give up on the search for their boss and consultant even on a Saturday when both probably under better circumstances wouldn't be out here in the weather. It was cold but the rain was more off than on as he nodded back to her.

"Pop the trunk."

She nodded back, opening up the glove box and pushing a small black button, the sound of the back hatch popping up as they exited the vehicle and he pocketed the keys. Hughes would understand why they were here if it came to that. Both were prepared for the worse but they would stand behind their reasoning: Peter and Neal were out there and they weren't going to leave anyone behind. It was Peter's motto and it was their own. They were a team and they needed to be sure that every man was accounted for and ok.

"You look nervous. You think..."

Diana didn't finish her sentence, her cheeks flushing slightly at the thought of what she wanted to say but hoped wasn't true. Jones rarely saw her out of her element but they were both too afraid to think the worse just yet. He shook his head, something in him saying they were doing the right thing.

"No. I'm sure Caffrey's keeping Peter warm by annoying him."

He saw her smirk and nod, both feeling a bit better for the moment as they tried to forget what they feared might be true.

"I'm sure they're just hiding in a cave or something... Got everything?"

She was looking over her pack and Jones over his own when he nodded back to her.

"Good on my side. Let's head for the falls. They'd need water so they probably would have gone back there if anywhere."

Diana shook her head, pointing off to their left.

"The cabin is shelter. Davids' is just off the trail that way. It would have everything they needed."

Jones nodded back, both agents walking towards the treeline and a rough path leading hopefully to their missing boss and consultant.

**oOoOoOo**

**Author's Note****: **_So Peter is somewhere in danger from Erics, Neal is pretending to work with their captor now and Jones and Diana are on the search for them both. What's going to happen and where is Peter? More excitement to come!_


	6. Chapter 6

_(Warning of violence and vivid nightmare whump)_

**(Chapter 6)**

It was a good 30 minute walk as they pushed through the now familiar trail and saw the rustic cabin of Richard Davids ahead of them. They had paused halfway, Diana reaching down to pick something up.

"This is Peter's sneaker. Remember he wore these to the FBI Basketball matchup?"

She was holding up the grimy, muddy sneaker as Jones gave it a look and nodded. There was a small chew mark on the side he recognized. Peter had told him Satch had been teething on it when one tooth was hurting him. It was obvious this was the same sneaker.

"It is... but what is it doing here? Why didn't anyone else find it? Looks freshly dumped if I had to guess. We searched every last inch of this place."

They started to dig around the area as they moved closer to the cabin, taking a few minutes to stop and eat something before they realized there was no more evidence to find and headed back on their path, sneaker in hand. They both noticed the fresh tracks in the mud, large imprints made by boots by the look of it. The agents took pictures of everything, guns out as they knocked on the door, heard nothing and then opened up the unlocked cabin. It was empty except for some sparse furnishings and a few muddy tracks by the door matching one of the two pairs of boots they noted. They saw no sign of either Neal or Peter inside but it was obvious someone had been here and recently. They checked out the main outer room and Diana went back into the bedroom and called for Jones to come over. She pointed at the dirty clothes on the floor, an obvious idea who they belonged to. The tags indicated they were Devor.

"If Neal was here... Peter must be with him. Right?"

**()()()**

Neal took the jacket (_a camouflage thing he normally wouldn't touch_) from Erics who put on the one he'd shot him in. There were old stains despite being cleaned up a bit to indicate there had been blood on it but it was now just a light brown stain as the two men left. Neal followed his captor acting as much like his new partner as he could and hoping he would be led to Peter. All he needed was a plan of how to escape, his mind actively keeping track of their surroundings, the path to and from the cabin as they left and any means to get something to disarm Erics if it came to that.

"You're awfully quiet. I thought you confidence men were more _talkative_."

Erics tone was friendly but only if you thought someone threatening to kill you was friendly. Neal blinked, rubbing his temple.

"You hit me on the back of the head. Feeling a little off my game."

He was only telling half of the truth, Erics giving him a nod back.

"Understandable... I guess I wouldn't want to talk to me under those circumstances."

Erics smiled toothily like a wildcat about to pounce as Neal tried not to act as nervous as he felt. His head was hurting, the con doing his best to push it aside. If he'd had time he would have looked for aspirin in the cabin. Davids must have had a first aid kit, his mind wandering a moment before he came to. Erics had stopped, looking around curiously as if listening for something before he shrugged.

"Thought I heard a car in the distance. Probably just the carry over from the other side of the ridge where the highway is. Come on."

The two men kept walking, Neal cold despite the shower and clean clothes. He was worried about getting the upper hand on his now partner and finding Peter alive. No ideas had come to him yet that didn't involve himself getting hurt and he'd been hurt enough the past few days but one more to save his friend wouldn't bother him. Neal didn't want to get them both killed, only Erics. He noticed they were back at the falls now, leaving the tree line for a small ridge he had stood on not too long ago when he had seen Peter across the way. At the time he'd been far from himself, Peter's glock in his hand from the muddy scene above on the cliff. He'd shot the man in the camo jacket and now he was walking with him like they were friends. He just had to find Peter and then he would know what to do.

"Over here... I thought he might need to cool off a bit."

Erics was chuckling in a cold manner, Neal uncertain what the man meant as he noticed a heavy rope along the edge of the rapids bumping against the side of the falls. It was tied to a large tree, his former captor reaching down to pull the rope up with a few audible grunts before Neal realized what was at the end of it. His heart sank a moment, watching the battered and bruised form of his friend pulled onto shore. Erics had tied the agent at the end of the heavy line gagged and bound if not totally helpless. Peter didn't move, his skin pale since he was shirtless but blotted here and there with various cuts and mottled coloring from being thrown against the rocks while tied up in the raging water. Was he alive, there was no obvious movement, Neal feeling himself holding his breath as he resisted the urge to move forward and help his friend. He had to keep up appearances, eyes moving around for something heavy to whack Erics over the head with but seeing nothing. A humorless laugh brought him back to the scene and the man he was forced to be with.

"Wake up, Agent..."

He watched as the man hit Peter hard across the chest, a red welt appearing from the action. It took a moment as Erics removed the gag and Neal heard a soft sound under the roar of the falls. Finally there was a rough cough and sound of someone trying to throw up, Peter rolling over as best he could as he coughed up water and caught his breath before those brown eyes fluttered open and stared up listlessly at the sky above. Neal waited, wondering if his friend was ok when those brown eyes moved to the side and finally gazed up at him curiously, blinking as if they weren't certain what was going on. Neal wanted to say something comforting but Erics hovered over the agent, glaring down with dark cold eyes.

"Hello, Agent. Glad you could join us again. Did you enjoy your swim?"

Brown eyes moved upwards towards their captor then back at Neal with a look that spoke volumes. The con didn't want to see that look, trying hard not to flush with shame to keep his cover.

"E... rics."

Peter's voice was just audible, raspy and hoarse as he moved his eyes back to the man who'd they'd been chasing just 4 days ago. Neal watched his friend and partner glare up at their tormentor and smirk slightly despite his situation. Erics seemed unhappy with the reaction, pulling back his arm to grab up the knife in his belt with Neal decided he had to do something.

"Did you hear that?"

There had been nothing but he could tell the man was anxious, pausing to listen before he rose and joined Neal again.

"I thought I heard someone's voice in the distance. Hunters?"

Neal had to keep it going, Erics shrugging but not taking a chance he was lying as his head moved back to the agent on the ground behind them.

"I should cut the rope and throw him back in... what do you think?"

The man was making him decide, prove himself but he still wasn't on top of his game as he tried to react.

"Let me do it. I need to teach him a lesson about respecting others."

Neal let his voice grow emotionless and cold, smiling darkly between the two men before Erics nodded and tossed him the knife.

"Make it quick. I'll move up along the ridge and see what those sounds are. We can't afford company at this point."

The man left him, disappearing through the trees as Neal pretended to hold the knife on Peter threateningly. He turned at some point to check and make sure the man was truly gone before he let himself relax a bit. Brown eyes gazed up at him dully, the agent giving a faint smile as Neal gave him one back.

"I guess the saying... is true?"

Peter spoke, voice faint over the roaring falls as Neal cut him loose and removed his jacket for the agent to wear. His friend was grateful, shivering as they stood and started to move off into the opposite direction.

"Never trust a con? Yeah... even with other cons it's not recommended. Sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

Neal felt guilt at being free when his friend had been hanging on for his life, the agent wrapping a cold hand around his as they stumbled through the forest.

"You came... that's all that matters."

The agent barely got those words out when he started to cough, collapsing to the ground as Neal tried to help him.

"We have to move, Peter."

His friend kept on coughing, curled up on his side in the wet leaves on the ground and seemingly choking as Neal did his best to help him. He didn't hear the crunching of leaves behind him until it was too late, rough hands dragging him up to his feet as he was pushed against a tree. Erics stood there smiling evilly, holding him firmly against the rough bark of the tree, one arm across his neck choking the con.

"Did you think I was so stupid as to actually trust you? Doesn't matter if you were a con, you've obviously gone over to the other side."

Erics pressed harder against his neck, Neal choking and struggling as his vision began to gray. He tried to grab for that large knife in his belt but it fell out of his hand to the leafy ground behind his tormentor, the man laughing coldly.

"Pathetic. I'll make sure they _NEVER_ find your bodies."

Neal felt himself running out of air, his eyes rolling back when he thought he saw a shadow in the background move closer just before he passed out.

**()()()**

Jones and Diana left the cabin after calling for backup. Now that they had some evidence of Caffrey being there, they were certain Peter couldn't be far away. Hughes wasn't happy with them continuing the investigation on their own but he approved more agents going out to help find their missing agent and consultant. He would talk to them later about their insubordination after everything eased up, Jones hanging up the phone with a relieved sigh. Diana noticed his mood.

"Was he very angry?"

Jones shrugged.

"More relieved than unhappy but it's hard to tell with him sometimes. We should have more men out here soon. They're going to call up the crew out already and have them come search over here again."

He was letting out the breath he was holding when he'd called their boss. Hughes was a fair man despite his reputation and manner. Diana nodded back, heading for the door.

"Let's go out and see what we can find. They can't have gone too far and maybe we'll find Neal waiting for us with Peter."

She sounded hopeful, the agents leaving the cabin as they went back out into the cold, wet forest and started towards the falls with a more sunny outlook. Neal had been here so that was something. Jones was glad to know they were back on the case, moving ahead as they walked towards the roaring falls ahead. Diana grabbed his arm and stopped him after a few yards, pointing off to the left where two shadowy forms were walking. Jones nodded, gazing in that direction as they ducked behind some brush. He pulled out some binoculars and gawked, handing them over to his colleague.

"_It's Caffrey and Burke... They're alive!"_

Her voice was an excited whisper, Jones nodding as they moved towards the two distant figures in hopes of catching up.

**()()()**

Peter was cold, trapped inside his head with thoughts of home and El. Thankfully his mind took him to a better place as he lay on the couch petting his dog, hugging his wife and watching the game. Neal wasn't there and something about his partner being absent felt off even if he was home.

"Hun... you're more distracted than usual. Are you thinking of Neal again?"

El was always perceptive, even this dream version as he nodded with a blush, turning off the game long enough to look into her pretty blue eyes as they kissed. She smiled back at him, hugging him as they snuggled and finally she rolled her eyes.

"Go visit with him. I know you were wondering about him. Mozzie said he's still feverish but it's just a cold. June's doctor is visiting with him off and on."

She gave him one last kiss, pushing him away with a playful wink as he smiled back sheepishly, pushing on his shoes as he went to the door and grabbed up his jacket.

"I'll be back soon, I promise."

El nodded back to him, motioning for him to go as he turned to step out the door and suddenly found himself hanging over a raging river, water up to his waist at times as it thrashed around him and the cold spray sprinkled his bare chest. He was soaked head to toe, shivering despite being numb from the exposure. His throat felt swollen and tight, something stuffed in his mouth and tape pulled over his lips. He gave a hard swallow, settling his breath as best he could despite the gag and the frigid conditions. He ached where the rope held him firm, his body buffeted against the rock wall like some kind of tethered ship in a storm. He wanted to be back in his home, the illusion of his wife and being back in Brooklyn all too real and enough to keep him going. He gazed through the spray, vision graying as he passed out again into a half conscious state. Peter thought he heard voices, a feeling of being pulled upwards making him shift slightly. His bare shoulder scraped up against a sharp bit of rock, a cursory sense of warm blood dripping from the cut as he was dragged up onto somewhat dryer, flatter ground.

"Wake up, Agent..."

Peter knew that voice but his mind was wandering back to the darkness, the scene of his home returning until someone hit him hard across the chest and he gave a gagging cough. The rags and tape were removed from his lips, his body twitching as he coughed and hacked, rolling over as much as he could to throw up some of the water from his lungs and overcome the nausea from the hit to his chest. People were speaking near him, their voices evident as he opened up his eyes and saw a gloomy gray sky overhead. Maybe he was dead? His eyes shifted, aware that someone was in his peripheral as two blurry forms seemed to stand near him, one coming into focus. Two blue eyes stared back surprised before two darker ones were over his face barely a nose length away. It was Erics. The man tried to get his anger riled up but despite everything, Peter kept calm or maybe it was the numbness he felt from being beaten and dunked in a cold river. He was calmer than he should be, staring between the con and his friend and knowing Neal must be with the man by necessity. He noted the anklet was off which meant that Erics knew about it and had figured out that his partner was a con. Neal conned the crook into thinking someone was coming, handing him a nasty looking knife before he left. He kept looking at his friend and partner, Neal nervous but finally turning around and relaxing once Erics was gone.

If anything, it surprised him when they were left alone, their captor leaving Neal to take care of him as his partner seemed to relax. He'd noticed a tenseness there, smiling softly at his friend but feeling like he wanted to pass out. Neal cut him loose, pulling him up to his feet as they made a break for it. He was warmer with the jacket on, noting his friend shivered despite having more clothes on than he did. Neal was scared and Peter understood why as he tried to keep up but couldn't, his chest growing tight. It was hard to breathe suddenly as he stopped.

"We have to move, Peter."

Neal sounded worried, scared which was rare for him but Peter couldn't breath, choking and coughing as he collapsed to the ground and felt his friend trying to help him.

"Peter..."

The con's voice cut off and he heard someone else making a choking sound now, his eyes opening a moment to see two blurry forms just behind him near a large tree. They seemed to be struggling, one overpowering the other as Peter rolled over and saw something fall near him. It was large and shiny, the agent reaching for the item as he managed to stand up. His chest hurt, a barely audible wheeze escaping his lips as his eyes focused on the two figures and saw Neal's blue eyes roll back as the consultant collapsed to the forest floor and lay in a heap. Peter felt about ready to do that himself, breath hard to maintain as Erics turned and moved to pounce, pausing with a pained look as those dark eyes glanced down between them. Something wet and warm drenched the agent's hand as he looked to see that he held a large dagger, the blade mostly gone as it stuck in the chest of the man who had tormented and tortured them the past few days. Erics smiled at him.

"You..."

The light left those eyes, Peter stepping back as the dagger fell with Erics as he collapsed. The agent just stood there shocked, eyes not seeing a moment until he heard a crunch of wet leaves and turned his head to see what was making that noise.

"Peter!"

That was his name... someone was calling to him and he knew the voice but... His eyes moved down past the dying Erics to another figure laying still at the foot of that large tree. Blue eyes stared ahead blankly, Peter moving towards them as he collapsed to his knees and nudged his friend. There was no movement as Peter felt his chest tighten painfully, collapsing next to the con as he began to pass out.

"Peter! He's over here... Call for a medic!"

Someone was talking in the background as he stared at Neal's pale, still form and slowly his vision blurred to black.

**()()()**

Neal felt as if someone had an elephant sitting on his chest, his breath labored but finally he had fallen to the ground, cold wet leaves sticking to his cheek as he felt rather than saw things around him. He could just hear the far off echo of voices, no sight as he passed out from lack of air and he woke up to his apartment at June's. This was wrong, the coldness still seeping wetly through his clothes as he looked around and found he was on his bed in his favorite pair of pajama pants, the sound of rain pattering outside and overhead on the skylight above. He felt something wet dripping on his cheek, looking up for a leak and seeing a dark form laying on top of the skylight as he stood on the bed and tried to get a better glance. Suddenly the ceiling collapsed on him, water swallowing him up as he was pulled underneath and felt his breath leaving him as water filled his lungs. Neal struggled for the surface, the apartment filled with water as his eyes blinked at the shadowy form floating nearby.

_Peter? PETER!_

He wanted to swim to his friend, fighting to move forward but the current pulled him away as Neal fought to move near him.

_PETER!_

His mouth opened to scream and suddenly he was sitting up, something beeping loudly in the background like an alarm as the con felt his lips open up, parting enough to gasp out a name before he flopped back limply to something soft beneath him. The alarms continued, making him twitch in response or maybe it was something else as he heard footsteps and voices, hands touching him and holding him down as his body continued to seize and react more from the dream and fear than anything.

_Let me go... Peter... I have to save... _

His thoughts were wild and desperate, the image of his friend floating in the water from his dream seemingly real as he felt his body continue to twitch and tremble, the pinch of a needle in his arm and then a calming warmth and the sounds quieted. Voices spoke softly, talking to him, the shaking easing up as he relaxed, thoughts growing quiet but for one last faint look at the dull glassy eyes of Peter Burke in his nightmare as he passed out into blissful darkness.

**()()()**

Erics was laughing at him, his tormentor holding the rope that held him to the side of the cliff face over the raging rapids below. He felt the cold water splash him icily against his bare skin. The man had left him his pants and socks but nothing else as he was lowered into the freezing water to his waist, the constant roar of the river and falls deafening him as he slumped against the rocky wall, mouth full of rags and covered with tape. He was helpless to do anything, Erics leaving him there to freeze if not drown, water getting in his nose as he tried to breath but finally he could no longer stay conscious, his body shaking and trembling from cold as he gave into the icy temperatures and passed into blissful oblivion. Erics was there too, smiling coldly at him as he watched him hurt Neal and was unable to do anything about it. Peter felt helpless despite his usual strength, his chest tight with pain as he tried to breath and couldn't.

_Pathetic Fed and his little pet snitch. You think I'm __**really**__ dead?_

Suddenly Peter found himself standing up, something warm and wet oozing over his hand as he glanced down and saw a red liquid washing over his hands. There was a large knife sticking into the man who had tormented them, Erics laughing despite the obvious deadly wound.

_I'll haunt you every night of your life, Agent..._

The man kept laughing, Peter trying to remove his hand from the dagger but it was stuck as more blood oozed onto his hands and the agent turned his head to avoid seeing the horrible scene. His eyes fell upon another figure unconscious on the forest floor and seemingly staring ahead with glassy blue eyes. He wanted to help his friend and let go of the man who'd hurt them but he was frozen in place as Erics grabbed him and laughed coldly.

_He's dead because of you, Agent. It's all your fault! Live with it..._

Peter couldn't let go, something making him cling to the dagger as his eyes went back to his dead partner before the scene changed and he found himself staring up at a dimly lit white ceiling he didn't recognize, breath coming fast as he gasped for air. There was something beeping in the background as he started to become more aware. Something was stuck in his mouth, a gurgling choking sound from him as he fought to breathe despite the large tube in his way.

"Peter... hun... relax..."

He turned his eyes to the right and saw Elizabeth there, blue eyes looking at him worriedly as he came to and realized where he was and what was in his mouth. He was still choking a bit, unable to relax from the nightmare and a tightness in his chest that felt like an elephant sat on it as he fought to relax and breathe normally, El's hand gently brushing at his hair. She spoke softly to him, her other hand holding his. The monitor was beeping a bit faster, louder but still steady as she continued to soothe him.

"It's ok, Peter... you're going to be ok. Shhh..."

His eyes looked up at hers then around the room. He was in ICU, he could guess that much as his mind started to forget the dream if only for a moment, the beeping of the monitors steadying until he felt sleepy again. His wife's touch was calming him and her lips gently brushed his forehead as he started to fall back into the darkness.

"Rest honey. The doctor will be here soon."

He felt his head nod back to her ever so slightly, the beeping slowing back to a normal sound until his eyes shut and he found himself back at the forest, looking over that ridge he had thought he lost Neal at.

_Beautiful view..._

He turned and saw another figure there, shadowy at first but slowly coming into view as they walked closer and Peter felt a smile curl his lips upward.

_It is._

Neal walked closer but remained in the shadows despite only a few yards between them. There was a slight sparkling of blue in their face where his eyes would be, Peter trying to recall what his friend looked like but having problems.

_You're... not dead?_

He moved to hug his friend but Neal held up a hand, the agent pausing.

_Don't... He's still lurking somewhere nearby. I... you don't want to see him and I prefer you remember me in happier terms._

Neal spoke quietly, his voice almost faint and far away as if he were a memory or spirit but technically it was a dream so that was all he could technically be. Peter nodded back, a slight frown on his lips. It was good to see Neal in any capacity, memory of those blue eyes staring at him without life coming back for a moment.

_Peter..._

He turned to see that Neal had moved a bit closer, still shadowy but a bit more clear than he had been. He thought of how much he'd missed and worried about the con when he had run with Mozzie, something warm and wet dripping down his cheek.

_I think it's trying to rain again..._

Peter didn't want to think negatively but he'd seen Erics kill Neal twice now and...

_Don't think about it. Just... remember me as I am._

Neal's voice was somewhat coy, Peter turning to find that he could see the young man a little bit better than before. The con was smiling at him.

_Neal..._

Suddenly he was looking up at the ceiling of a hospital room again, the soft beeping of the monitor to his left. There were less machines this time and the room seemed larger than the last. He was aware of voices speaking somewhere nearby out of sight as his eyes turned tiredly to the monitor and the door beyond. He could just make out blurry shadows under the hospital room door, the voices coming from the other side as he swallowed and realized the tubing had been removed. He could breathe more easily, the tiredness still there but the room was empty and dimly lit. Hadn't Elizabeth been here before? He wasn't sure what was real anymore, the dream about his partner fading some as he glanced around the room and waited to see if he was really awake. His eyes shut, Peter too tired to keep them open as someone entered the room and the voices whispered quietly.

"_He's going to be ok, Mrs. Burke. Your husband had a light case of pneumonia. He seems to be better now with the antibiotics and being hydrated. His fever is down and he's breathing better. Get some rest and I'll let you know when he's awake._"

The voice was male but not one he recognized. The tone was slightly clinical so it had be a doctor he thought, Peter's eyes still shut as he remained awake but still. There was a quiet gasp of relief from the other speaker, their voice now more obvious and one he did know.

"_Thank you, Dr. Atkins. I appreciate everything you've done. I'll sit and wait a while longer._"

The two speakers were quiet, only a slight shuffling of sound and then the sound of a door quietly closed and the distant echo of footsteps going away from the room. Someone moved close to him, a warm hand touching his right as they sat beside him and gave a little sigh. He squeezed his wife's hand in his gently, her sigh becoming a surprised gasp as he opened his eyes and gazed up at her in the dimly lit room.

"Peter..."

He smiled up at her, her lips curving up into a smile of their own as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He gave a sigh of his own, hoping for something on the lips but she was perceptive as usual as she smoothed his hair from his face and kept smiling.

"You're still sick. Don't want me to get what you have, do you hun?"

She winked at him and he shook his head, happy she was with him again.

"N... no."

His voice sounded raspy, rough from not being used and he now felt the slight swelling remaining from the cold he obviously had along with the pneumonia. El got up and walked over to what looked to be a sink, filling a small disposable cup with water and coming back as she helped him sit up, holding the cup to his lips. He drank slowly, the cool but not icy liquid slipping easily down his throat and wetting his chapped lips. He sensed something like chapstick on them, his wife smiling at him as he finished drinking.

"I've been putting lip balm on you. Hopefully it doesn't taste too weird. Your lips were very chapped when they brought you in, hun. Did you need more water?"

He shook his head, glad to be awake and alive. El squeezed him gently, her cheek next to his.

"I guess... I've been asleep a few days. How long?"

He shifted slightly, getting comfy as his wife stayed near, kissing his cheek.

"5 days. You woke up 3 days ago in ICU and they realized you were doing better so they removed it and moved you here. I've been on the couch waiting for you to wake up. Everyone was worried about you."

She pointed at the small dresser in the corner where he saw hints of flowers in vases and cards along with a few balloons tied to a chair. Suddenly he realized what it was he was forgetting, his eyes moving back to El's as worry hit him.

"Neal..."

He let the name float in the air, uncertain he wanted to know where this was going to go. He remembered hints of what had happened to them in the woods and the nightmares but he needed to know the truth no matter how bad it might be. Elizabeth smiled and he knew things must be ok.

"He's at June's. He left the hospital yesterday. Jones is looking out for him while you were here. Mozzie was a bit unhappy about that but Neal wanted to stay here and the Marshals wanted him locked up if you were... _incapacitated_. We convinced them you'd want him at June's and they went for it."

Her voice was upbeat, Peter smiling as he felt all the tension leave his body. Neal was ok and he was home with June. The agent could finally relax knowing his friend was well and alive.

"Good. I was... concerned he might still be here."

His eyes were heavy again, a yawn leaving his lips despite himself. Elizabeth hugged and kissed his cheek, smoothing his hair gently.

"Sleep honey. You need to get better."

Peter just nodded his head, brushing his lips against his wife's cheek before sleep overcame him.

**oOoOoOo**

**Author's Note****:** _Looks like everyone is ok. Lots of vivid nightmares and Peter and Neal worrying about the other. I think the next chapter is the last unless my muse goes on a spree._


	7. Chapter 7

**(Chapter 7)**

Neal was exhausted, dreams of the past few days in hell with Erics haunting him as he struggled to free himself and Peter and finally darkness won out. He was exhausted, tired and mentally withdrawn when his eyes opened and stared up dully at the white ceiling above. It wasn't his room at June's, blue eyes roving to the right then the left and seeing first a bland set of light brown curtains covering a window and then the door exiting the room opposite that. His eyes looked around the interior of the hospital room as he let his gaze fall on his hands laying on his chest, the soft beeping of the monitors he was connected to chiming in the background. He remembered enough of the past few days he wished he didn't, a listlessness falling over him as he closed his eyes again and fought to see something other than his partner tied and hanging over the side of a rocky face over the raging rapids beneath.

"_He hasn't woken up yet. It's only the first 12 hours since they were brought in. He's dehydrated as your husband was and suffering from exposure. We set his shoulder. It should heal without any therapy required._"

The voice was not one he was familiar with, male and somewhat clinical. After a moment, another answered it he knew well enough.

"_Thank you Dr. Atkins. May I go in and visit?_"

There was a silence and then quiet murmurings between the two before the sound of a door opening and then footsteps approaching him. Neal wondered if it was the doctor or Elizabeth. He opened his eyes to the dimly lit room again, two blue eyes looking back at him with surprise.

"Hey... how are you feeling, Neal?"

She sounded happy but tired, an exhaustion there he recognized from when Peter had been kidnapped. El was holding up as best she could. He moved his right hand to hold hers, his left shoulder wrapped up and sore when he tried to shift it. She moved closer and sat down.

"Fi... ine. Peter..."

He had passed out before he knew if Erics had hurt the agent any more than he'd already attempted. There was a guilt making him wish he'd been able to do more but El soothed him, patting his good arm gently.

"He's still... unconscious. You were both brought in 12 hours ago. Doctor said your shoulder should be ok. Did you need anything?"

El was being her usual motherly self, Neal appreciating her concern but still feeling that guilt about her husband being hurt. He wanted to visit him but it was still too soon he thought, his body sore and tired from their ordeal and he had just woken up.

"I'm good. Thank you El. How is Peter?"

He could tell she was avoiding talking about it, the ordeal still fresh in his mind and her terror at knowing her husband was hurt not something she was ready to talk about but she did.

"The doctor... he said Peter had a slight concussion but otherwise his injuries were minor. His temperature was low so they have him in ICU. His breathing is... a bit erratic. They think he has pneumonia."

She paused, a pained look on her face as he watched Elizabeth's blue eyes grow slightly shinier. She was trying not to cry as he sat up a bit more, putting his good arm around her and she hugged him back.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have... He's going to be ok, Neal. The doctor thinks so from all the tests..."

She was almost pleading with him to tell her something positive, his own injuries suddenly secondary to her worry. Peter was more than just his parole officer, partner or friend. The man had given him a second chance and trusted him even when it looked like he was working with Erics. He could see that Peter knew it wasn't so, his faith in him obvious.

"I'm sure he'll be ok. Peter's strong and stubborn. Maybe... I could go visit him later?"

He watched El wipe at her eyes with a smile, nodding her head.

"They said talking to him would help. I'll talk to your doctor... they should probably check you now that you're awake."

She fluffed up his pillows as he shifted to sit up a bit more comfortably, holding her hand in his. El had already pushed the nurse call button, both waiting for someone to show. They only had to wait a few minutes before the door opened up and a young woman in blue scrubs and a white lab coat came in.

"Mr. Caffrey..."

She glanced over at Elizabeth curiously, a friendly smile on her face as they shook hands.

"Elizabeth Burke. I thought Dr. Atkins would come check on him."

The woman, her dark brown hair short and pulled back in a loose ponytail smiled softly as she moved closer, amber eyes friendly as she checked Neal's pulse while still conversing.

"I'm his colleague, Dr. Tollez. He's checking on your husband at the moment, Mrs. Burke. How are you feeling, Mr. Caffrey?"

She had finished taking his pulse, helping him sit up a bit so she could push a cool stethoscope against his chest and back, having him cough to check his breathing.

"Neal... I feel like I rolled down a staircase without carpeting."

He hesitated, uncertain he would get what he wanted as he smiled up at her almost shyly.

"What's the prognosis, doc?"

He was semi-flirting with her, Andrea rolling her eyes as she finished her exam, gently feeling at his hurt shoulder before she stood back up.

"I think you'll live. Your shoulder will be sore for a bit, your x-rays and Dr. Atkins initial examination say you won't need to get therapy. Just take it easy for a bit. The soft tissue didn't tear and your joint pushed itself back into place so it's only slightly inflamed and healing nicely."

She patted him gently on the opposite shoulder, turning a moment to face El who saw him giving her the "_ask about visiting Peter_" look.

"Dr. Tollez..."

The doctor smiled at her and Neal, holding up a hand.

"Andrea... I guess you want to see if Neal can visit?"

She gave him a wink as if knowing what he was up to, nodding her head as she answered them both.

"Maybe tomorrow. Neal has only just woken up and needs time to heal. Maybe your husband will be awake tomorrow. He's not comatose, just sleeping from what we can tell."

Her words seemed to make them both feel better, especially El, as she walked with the doctor out of the room, their voices fading away some as the door shut behind them. Neal thought about everything that had happened the last few days, relaxing some with the thought that Peter was ok and he would get to see his friend soon.

**()()()**

_Presently..._

Peter woke up to darkness, only a hint of light in the place he was in coming through as horizontal bars. There were soft murmurings by rough voices as his vision cleared and he realized he was in a prison cell. He immediately sat up, looking around at the small gray dimly lit enclosure, bars keeping him in securely. He stood and moved cautiously towards the metal bars and stared out across the corridor at other cells in the dim darkness.

_This is what you're looking forward to, Fed. A night of fun in a dark enclosure._

He turned, uncertain who had spoke but knowing the voice was close by.

_Who's there?_

He felt fear but most of all he felt guilt looking around the barely 8 x 10 enclosure realizing he was in Neal's old cell. He realized he must be dreaming. Peter relaxed some when he knew this was only a nightmare.

_Hah... that won't keep me from tormenting you, Fed. Your guilt will keep me alive in your mind._

Peter turned, dark eyes sparkling back at him from the shadowy parts of his cell, white teeth flashing back a cold evil smile. He backed up against the bars, ready to flee although he was trapped, a hand grabbing his shoulder as he jumped in reaction, more hands holding him in place as the ghost of Erics moved towards him from the shadows.

_Your subconscious is a very dark place right now, Agent. If only you could wake up._

Peter couldn't move, something keeping him in place despite the hands. He knew what he'd done had been accidental if not justified as it had been with Adler. He had been protecting his friend from a murderer but would his superiors see it that way.

_Hah... until you wake up and know, We're going to keep you company..._

Erics was nose to nose with him, those dark eyes suddenly changing until he saw Adler there grinning back and realized this was going to be more than just the ordinary nightmare. Vincent laughed, Erics no longer there.

_He's a con and yet you protect him like an innocent man. Where was my protection from his conning, Agent Burke? Wasn't I technically a tax paying citizen?_

Blue eyes flashed back at him now, a familiar smirk on the man's face he wanted to punch but he was trapped back in the past when he'd shot the man.

_He had the treasure and you forgave him? Do you really think he's worth all this trouble, Peter? He's run and you forgave him but wait... you told him to go didn't you? Maybe Kramer was right about him changing you. You nearly lost your wife and your career..._

Vincent was laughing at him, turning into Erics for a moment as both men's voices echoed darkly in his nightmare and he just wanted to wake up. He had done the right thing! Neal wasn't a killer like Erics and Adler. He had potential to do right and he had started taking that role more seriously until Kramer had interfered.

_I have faith in him, far more than you showed your victims._

He was fighting back, watching their eyes gaze coldly back at him. Erics was back, white teeth grinning back at him like a hungry predator. Peter waited for a blow, something harsh to happen but another voice broke through.

_Peter..._

He looked up and around, searching for the faint voice before it came again and he saw Erics staring at him curiously.

_Everyone's waiting for you..._

He knew that voice, eyes staring back defiantly at the nightmare before him as he turned, the hands no longer holding him and saw a figure standing outside the bars. It was Neal and he was smiling back at him, the con's hand reaching through and grasping Peter's in his own.

_Neal?_

He wanted to be sure it was really his friend as he moved closer. Suddenly Peter found himself staring up at a bland white ceiling overhead. The room was bathed in soft light from a lamp to his left, his eyes moving down to a curtained window that was dark indicating it was night time. He glanced around the room in a slow circuit with his eyes noticing a figure asleep under the window on a small sofa. He smiled, a quiet yawn escaping his lips as he sat up, a small creaking of the hospital bed waking the sleeper.

"Peter? Hey hun..."

El was by his side, her eyes giving a quick look around as if for another person but keeping her attention on him. She was smiling softly, giving him a kiss on his forehead as he felt a bit more awake. He remembered waking up before and she had talked to him but he had been sleepy, worried about his partner. They both turned as the door opened up, a slight ray of light brightening the room for a moment from the hallway, a tall silhouette standing there. The door shut and as his eyes adjusted he could see who was coming towards them, El hugging him before she stood and stretched.

"I thought they had taken you home for a moment."

Her voice was worried and he wondered what she meant by "_they_" but then the door opened a few minutes afterwards and he saw a marshal standing there peeking inside before closing the door again. Neal made a face, handing his wife a coffee before sitting by the bed tiredly.

"They said I should go home considering but I think Hughes gave their supervisor a little talking to. Said I could stay and visit for a while."

Neal sounded tired, moving to drink his own when those sparkling blue eyes glanced over at Peter curiously, eyes widening in surprise.

"Hopefully... you're only surprised because I'm awake and not any other reason."

Peter gave his friend a tired smirk, Neal blinking back silently before an equally faint smirk curled his lips.

"Glad to see you're back."

There was a slight flush to his cheeks, a blush like he wanted to hug him but was a bit embarrassed with El around to do it. For a moment he wasn't sure what Neal was going to do as the con leaned over and gave him a half hug, a smile appearing on his wife's face but she remained silent and let them have their moment.

"You too. I heard you were home already."

Peter wasn't sure he wanted to discuss what happened to them (sensing Neal felt the same way) with his wife around. They would have to give a statement soon as they were well enough to do so. El kissed him, patting Neal on the left shoulder before excusing herself to go to the bathroom and wash up. They both waited for the door to close before talking a bit more freely.

"I thought..."

They both said it at the same time, a not so happy chuckle escaping both of their throats as Peter put a hand on Neal's arm giving a gentle squeeze.

"... thought you were dead. Erics..."

Peter felt his face flush as he tried not to think about what had happened accident as it was or the face he was having nightmares about it. Neal looked a bit uncertain, putting his other hand on the agent's.

"I thought I was too for a moment but then I heard you calling my name. I couldn't move or think straight, someone picking me up and then I woke up here. El said you were still unconscious."

Neal looked just as worried, both men quiet a moment before the con continued.

"They have me under house arrest because they found my fingerprints on your gun. Hughes said from the evidence I was obviously just defending myself if not you but the marshals didn't see it that way or OPR."

He fumed a bit but was otherwise relaxed as Peter moved to sit up, looking him in the eyes.

"You kept yourself and me alive. That's all that matters. Hughes will take our side. OPR will see the truth."

He watched his friend nod, a small frown on his face.

"What if... I hadn't remembered anything, Peter?"

Neal looked worried, moving up to rub at his temple. He looked tired, the scars of their recent ordeal both fresh and still quite evident.

"Nothing if I had anything to say about it. I'd have found a way to make sure you were safe. You know that, right?"

He saw the con nod, a relieved smile on his face but hints of worry remained. Neal still didn't trust himself being free, memory or not. He'd shot Erics but freed Peter despite his confusion at the time. Something of their friendship had remained despite the amnesia. Neal had his back.

"Yeah... I know I just... what if I had run? I'd be a fugitive again. Hughes would be furious at me if not you."

Peter heard the conflict there, that want to be free but also for the safety of a place to call home. Neal was definitely still conflicted on the issue of not running even if he did consider his current place home. The agent put a hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"We'd be 4 and 0. Trust me... I'd find you and make sure you remember who and what you are to us. El would make sure of it."

He heard the door open, El staring at the two men a moment before glancing at Peter curiously. Neal looked over at her and smiled slightly, nodding his head.

"I guess that's good enough. I think I'd know I was beat then."

Neal was grinning now, Peter rolling his eyes at the younger man as El moved closer and tried to figure out what they were talking about, sitting opposite Neal on the other side of the bed.

"Do I want to know what you were talking about?"

She had a croissant in her hands, feeding a bit of it to Peter as Neal shrugged.

"If Neal had amnesia you'd make sure he knew where he belonged."

El blinked, looking at him then back at Neal with an "_oh_" kind of look.

"I'm glad you remembered us then. If you hadn't, I'd show you the prom pic you took with Peter."

Everyone was quiet after that, a smile on their lips at the memory of that day. It had been stressful and Mozzie hadn't made it any easier but they had all worked together for the common good and everyone was safe. Neal nodded back, a wistful smile on his face.

"Not a day I could forget easily."

**()()()**

It was another three days before Peter left the hospital, his lungs sounding better and his injuries healing. Both men had been lucky to get out of their ordeal alive, news that Erics had died only a few days before a surprise.

"I can't believe they kept Erics' condition from us."

Peter sounded upset, Neal idling rolling a small rubber band ball he normally carried around at work in his hands as they sat up in his apartment at June's. El was downstairs talking to his benefactress, the two friends sitting out on the terrace getting some sun now that he weather had cleared up as well. Compared to the past week. Diana and Jones had come to visit them both, the Marshals taken off guard duty the day Peter was released from the hospital. The agent was still a bit tired and hacky but he was walking better and the doctor said his injuries were healing just fine. Neal felt the stiffness of his left shoulder but came back to the room as a not so phlegmy cough drew his attention.

"We're not revenge types. Hughes knows that but OPR was investigating what happened so they had to keep it all hush hush while you were out and I was still unconscious. I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did."

Peter spoke with a slight rasp to his voice but he sounded better, soaking up the sun along with the con as they enjoyed the warmth of the sun while snacking on finger sandwiches and Italian roast. There was a knock at the door, Neal rising to go answer it as a curious look passed between the two. He opened the door and saw Diana there, a friendly look on her face hiding something else.

"Diana... to what do I owe this pleasure?"

He smiled as her eyes rolled at him sarcastically then moved to see something or someone behind him as he turned to see Peter standing in the threshold of the terrace. Neal let her in curious what was going on as he closed the door behind her and the agent pulled a folder out, her attention on Peter.

"Boss... I have something you might want to read."

She handed him the folder, Peter nodding back as he took the item with some trepidation and Neal could just read that it was a report about what happened. They both still on leave until their injuries were completely healed and also because Erics had been shot and stabbed. Peter had taken responsibility for both acts much to Neal's relief and worry. They were waiting on the results of the investigation into Erics death despite what happened. Agents using firearms or deadly force were up for review and sometimes psych exams. He watched as his partner opened up the manila folder and started to skim the contents, eyes moving down the pages inside and flipping them over until a relaxed sigh escaped his lips. Neal took that as a good thing.

"Good news?"

He waited to see what his friend would say, Peter reading through the contents again then handing the folder over to him and smiling slightly.

"Yeah... for both of us. Thanks Diana. I'm surprised it went through so quickly. I wasn't really up for an interview that day they showed up. Maybe that helped the case."

Peter sounded relieved as Diana moved closer and patted him on the shoulder, her own smile reflecting their relief at the news. Neal looked at the papers and felt a bit of the tension that remained leave him. There was guilt at having shot someone, bad guy or not but apparently it had been that bullet that saved them. Erics hadn't died from the stab wound Peter had unintentionally inflicted on the man but an infection from the bullet being lodged in his chest. OPR had deemed both acts done in self-defense so Peter was off the hook and in a way, so was he.

"Neal?"

He glanced up to find that Diana had left, his attention still on the folder until Peter had gently squeezed his shoulder.

"You did the right thing even if you weren't yourself at the time. I wasn't when..."

The agent hesitated talking about stabbing the man but Erics had turned to run at Peter and impaled himself on the knife while doing so. The coroner's report confirmed the angle of the wound and manner fit with what Peter had told them. It still didn't change the fact he had killed a man... they both had. A cold shiver ran down his spine despite knowing everything was ok.

"Thanks, Peter. Maybe... maybe we should go down and see what El and June are up to?"

Neither one was ready to talk about what happened but both knew they had done it for the right reasons. They had the other's back and Neal was glad for that.

"Sure. Tell my wife the good news. Maybe we can go out to celebrate."

Peter sounded a bit more upbeat, folder forgotten on the dining table as they stood up and moved towards the door. Neal smiled and held up a hand.

"I was thinking... Italian. I wonder if Mozzie would want to go too."

Neal contemplated calling his friend, the little guy having visited him briefly during his house arrest before Peter had woken up. Peter shook his head.

"Really? I thought he was allergic to oregano or something."

The agent sounded hopeful but Neal just shrugged.

"Lactose intolerant with a slight hint of food allergies. He does like wine though despite the nitrates."

He saw the wry smile on his friend's face.

"Trying to get him away from you own collection for a night?"

Peter was teasing him now, Neal rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms loosely over his chest.

"Maybe... we could just keep it small. He's not here..."

The two nodded at the other in silent agreement as they headed out of the room and down the stairs. Peter still had a hint of his limp from before, Neal remembering his hurt ankle but the agent was doing well.

"Take out at our place. I'm thinking cannolis for dessert."

Peter was looking at him with a take it or leave it look, Neal nodding back with false resignation.

"Fine... but I bring the wine. I have a bottle hidden up there even Mozzie doesn't know about. El will love it."

**(The End)**

**Author's Note****:** _Finally done! Yes, it's all resolved and fixed and happy and shining and such. Everyone's good and well and not so psychologically messed up as they should be but that's how I like it. ;) Hope you like this and sorry for the long stretch between chapters. My muse has been fingerpainting inside my head so I've been doing some more artsy stuff for my shops lately._


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